#precisely when i started learning more about how to express my ideas in more concise and yet more exact manner

[sgkjd]

i don't like rhyme in poetry when it's just for the sake of it being there. especially when the contents of a poem don't really ask for a certain rhyme. when i read such poems, my attention completely fixates on the rhythm and the rhyme and i can't process the meaning of the words i'm reading. there are rhymed poems which rhythm, on the other hand, accentuates the idea they're expressing. oh these ones i love. then it feels like they help grasping the idea of a poem even better.

[gaymortagokat]

Part 2D: Frank

Intro: 

I forgot again.

Just as a reminder/disclaimer while reading, the page numbers seen below may not line up with a physical copy of the books since I got them based on my digital copies. It may feel a bit essay-like, so sorry in advance for that it helps me be more precise with my words. And for obvious reasons everything below this paragraph contains spoilers to Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo books. If you haven’t read part 1 you can here: If you haven’t read the previous parts you can here: part 1  part 2  part 3  part 4

The changes in Frank and Reyna’s relationship is easy to describe. It starts with what is basically starts with a subordinate and boss type relationship and ends up with a more colleague and most likely friends type relationship. The beginning of The Son of Neptune captures the early part of their relationship. On page 27 Frank tries to include himself in the first conversation that will determine if Percy can stay at Camp Jupiter; Reyna reminds him of the problems he caused earlier and assigns him a task, and Frank stops himself from arguing (The Son of Neptune).

From this interaction we know that Reyna can come off as curt or even a bit cold due to how concise her speech is and how given her position she’s hardly ever asking someone to do something and giving them the choice of whether or not to do it a task; she’s telling them -terse can be used in replace of curt, but generally curt brings up more negative connotations which is how Reyna’s instructions can seem like (For those who don’t know terse and curt can both mean concise and brief but curt is often used when what someone says feels rudely brief). 

What we also learn about their early relationship, is that Reyna is helpful to him in private despite interactions like the one on page 27. When Frank first arrived at camp he spoke to Reyna privately and he begged forgiveness for a family member he knew nothing about and then Reyna tells him, “I judge people by their own merits,” and to not mention that family member to anyone else because he would be treated badly by others if he does (The Son of Neptune page 79). The second part of what Reyna says to Frank while not providing much context besides “you’ll be treated badly” is helpful advice to make Frank's time at Camp Jupiter easier (The SoN of Neptune page 79). The first part of what she says is interesting because later in Son of Neptune Reyna tells Percy she doesn’t hold a grudge against him for what he did four years ago, combine this with was she says to Frank on page 79 and we know that Reyna cares about people’s current actions and accomplishments more than one’s past or family connections (page 111). During the Son of Neptune there isn’t much else more to this until The Blood of Olympus except for maybe how well a demigod does at being a demigod. This idea comes from that discussion on pages 110-113 of The Son of Neptune between Percy and Reyna where Percy asks why not Frank for Praetor and Reyna cites Frank’s current inexperience as the reason. 

The House of Hades is the start of the next phase of their relationship. Towards the end of the book Reyna finds out that Frank has been made praetor and approves the decision which surprised Frank (The House of Hades 412). The pair even compliment each other and speak more informally than in The Son of Neptune. On page 412 and 413 Reyna says “A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion…I can work with a demigod like that. I’m just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata,” and Frank provides praise for making it to them and across the ancient lands and compares her to Julius Caesar (The House of Hades). This friendliness grows once they start working together. An example of this is during Frank’s conversation with Apollo which shows that he cares about Reyna by expressing worry for her because of how long she’s been Praetor; in addition, he expresses a desire to help her more (The Tyrant's Tomb 111). By the time The Tyrant's Tomb occurs it has been approximately 6-8 months of Reyna and Frank being co-praetors by page 146 their interactions have grown friendlier than the interaction on page 412 of The House of Hades. On page 171 Frank even hugs Reyna asking her to be careful on the upcoming trip with Apollo and Meg (The Tyrant's Tomb).

[schooldekho91]

Best 2 Minute Speech Topics for Students

Introduction

In the world of public speaking, mastering the art of delivering a concise and impactful speech is a valuable skill, especially for students. Whether it’s for a classroom presentation, a competition, or a community event, being able to express ideas clearly and persuasively in just two minutes can leave a lasting impression. But how do you choose the right topic and deliver it effectively? Let's dive into the essentials of crafting the perfect 2-minute speech.

Why 2-Minute Speeches are Valuable

Two-minute speeches are like a verbal snapshot—they allow you to capture the essence of your message quickly and efficiently. These speeches are particularly valuable because they force you to distill your thoughts, focusing only on the most crucial points. For students, this is an excellent exercise in clarity and precision, helping to develop critical communication skills that are useful in both academic and real-world settings.

Choosing the Right Topic

Selecting the right topic is the first step towards a successful 2-minute speech. The key is to pick a topic that resonates with both the audience and the speaker. If the subject is something the speaker is passionate about, it will naturally reflect in their delivery, making the speech more engaging. Additionally, considering the relevance and timeliness of the topic can also enhance its impact.

Topic Categories for 2-Minute Speeches

Personal Experiences

Sharing Life Lessons Personal stories are powerful because they are unique to the speaker. A 2-minute speech about a significant life lesson can be both relatable and inspiring to the audience.

Overcoming Challenges Discussing how you overcame a challenge not only shows resilience but also connects with others who may have faced similar struggles. This topic can be motivational and leave a strong impact.

Educational Topics

The Importance of Education Education is a universal theme, and speaking about its value can resonate with a wide audience, especially in a school setting. Discussing how education shapes our future and the opportunities it brings can be both informative and inspiring.

Learning Through Failure Failures are often seen as negative, but they are also our greatest teachers. A speech on how to learn from failure can encourage others to view setbacks as opportunities for growth.

Social Issues

Bullying in Schools Bullying is a pressing issue that many students can relate to. A speech on this topic can raise awareness and promote a culture of kindness and respect.

The Impact of Social Media Social media plays a significant role in our lives today. Discussing its effects, both positive and negative, can lead to a thought-provoking speech that engages listeners.

Inspirational Topics

The Power of Kindness A simple act of kindness can have a profound impact. Speaking about the power of kindness can inspire others to spread positivity and compassion in their daily lives.

Perseverance and Success Success is often the result of perseverance. A speech on this topic can motivate others to keep pushing forward, even when faced with obstacles.

Humor and Light-Hearted Topics

The Day I Got Caught in the Rain Everyone has had an embarrassing or funny moment. Sharing a humorous story can lighten the mood and connect with the audience on a personal level.

My Most Embarrassing Moment Talking about an embarrassing moment can be both entertaining and relatable. It shows vulnerability and can make the audience feel more connected to the speaker.

Tips for Delivering a Powerful 2-Minute Speech

Delivering a speech in just two minutes requires precision and focus. Here are some tips to ensure your speech is effective:

Start with a Strong Opening Capture the audience’s attention right from the start with a strong opening statement or a compelling question. This sets the tone for the rest of the speech.

Stay Focused on the Message With only two minutes, it’s crucial to stay on point. Avoid going off on tangents and keep your message clear and concise.

Use Body Language Effectively Your body language can convey confidence and reinforce your message. Stand tall, make eye contact, and use gestures to emphasize key points.

How to Engage the Audience

Engagement is key to a successful speech. Here are some strategies to keep your audience interested:

Ask Rhetorical Questions Rhetorical questions make the audience think and engage with the topic on a deeper level. It’s a great way to involve them in your speech.

Incorporate Personal Anecdotes Sharing personal stories or experiences can make your speech more relatable and memorable. People love stories, and they can be a powerful tool in capturing attention.

Use a Conversational Tone Speaking as if you’re having a conversation with the audience can make your speech more engaging. It helps break down barriers and makes your message more accessible.

The Role of Practice in Mastering 2-Minute Speeches

Practice is essential to mastering any skill, and public speaking is no exception. Here’s why you should rehearse your 2-minute speech:

Importance of Rehearsals Rehearsing helps you become familiar with your material, making it easier to deliver your speech smoothly. It also helps you manage your time effectively.

Recording and Reviewing Performances Recording your practice sessions allows you to review and identify areas for improvement. It’s an excellent way to refine your speech and ensure it’s polished.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Delivering a speech, even a short one, comes with its challenges. Here’s how to overcome them:

Handling Nervousness Nervousness is natural, but it can be managed. Techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and positive self-talk can help calm your nerves before speaking.

Managing Time Effectively With only two minutes, time management is critical. Practice pacing your speech to ensure you cover all your points without rushing or running out of time.

Staying on Topic It’s easy to get sidetracked, especially when nervous. Practice staying focused on your main message and avoid introducing unnecessary details.

The Impact of a Memorable Closing

Your closing is your last chance to leave an impression, so make it count. Here’s how:

Leaving a Lasting Impression A powerful closing can leave the audience thinking about your message long after the speech is over. Consider ending with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action.

Summarizing Key Points Succinctly Use the closing to briefly recap your main points, reinforcing your message one last time before you finish.

Conclusion

Selecting the Best 2 Minute Speech Topics for Students can greatly enhance a student's ability to deliver an effective and engaging presentation. The ideal topics are those that captivate the audience, are straightforward, and allow students to demonstrate their enthusiasm and understanding. By choosing topics that resonate personally and with the audience, students can create compelling speeches that make a lasting impression.

[thecaptainhelm]

Shut Your Mouth Pt.2

hahaha, daminette part two, wasn’t a one shot, gn gn gn.

Marinette sighed as the shower warmed up, rolling her neck and relishing in the light feeling of accomplishment. Ever since Hawkmoth had been defeated, a mere two days ago, things had been tense. Hawkmoth, now known as Gabriel Agreste, was arrested along with his assistant Nathalie Sancoeur who had since retired as Mayura the year before. It was a stroke of luck to discover that the Guardian had the ability to forcibly renounce a broken Miraculous. Something Gabriel hadn’t known, granting them extra time as he futilely tried to ‘fix’ the brooch. While that happened, she managed to finally convince Chat to at least keep him as a suspect if not out of suspicion, then to actually strike him from their list. It didn’t take long rack up evidence against him, especially after learning from the Bats of Gotham. 

The battle was quiet, in the early hours of the morning, where the city forcibly cut the power to the Agreste mansion, and it only took one Venom for each while they slept defenselessly. It took only a few minutes to find evidence that he was at least working with Hawkmoth, and when they found the miraculous pin and brooch, it was confirmed that he was, indeed, Hawkmoth with Nathalie working as his henchwoman Mayura.

Soon, with what was probably the fastest trial of the century, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur were declared guilty and sentenced to serve life in prison and an insane asylum respectively. It had only shocked her for a moment that Mayura pleaded guilty and asked to be sent directly to rehab for mental help, by reason of insanity wrought by grief. What did surprise her was that she was the one to take the miraculous and give them to the Agreste couple as an anniversary gift, ultimately setting off a chain of unforeseen consequences.

That was a whole other cake she didn’t want to bake just yet, so she decided to finally just take a moment to breathe for what felt like the first time in five years. 

So it was only normal that her smartwatch chimed on the hook of the shower caddy, a picture of a frowny eagle glaring right at her. She cursed her luck, yeah, no breaks was still her usual routine. It must be real hard for the universe to break out that particular habit.

Then she remembered that she set this particular picture and ringtone for the one person who had never called.

Robin, the vigilante that she might have, kind of, definitely made an enemy of.

Who was also her crush, so that was just. Great.

In her defense, she was a human being, and human beings were capable of amazing feats. It was just that her amazing feats were more amazing bouts of stupidity. Seriously, why did she do it? Just where did her common sense escape to make her think that was even a remotely good idea, because she wanted to go there and never come back.

She had kissed-- no! She made out with Robin, the most notoriously ill-tempered member of Batman’s team. The only reason he didn’t deck her in the face was because, because, well she didn’t know! Was it mercy, a misplaced feeling of pity, perhaps?

No, actually, it was more likely that he was frozen stiff with rage. Marinette couldn’t blame him, heck, she’d be angry too, suddenly getting passionately smooched in the middle of livid rant. 

She had planned on giving him her contact information for the longest time, since they'd come to the understanding that they only wanted to do what was best for everyone, the kind of understanding that only leaders could have. And to maybe get closer to him as much as professionalism allowed. So, it stood to reason that she had to go ahead and ruin that, too. She really couldn’t believe herself sometimes, who randomly kisses someone, hands them their number, and then trots off back to work? Marinette Dupain-Cheng apparently.

In fact, it was about time he called. She had pretty much an entire year to prepare herself for what was sure to be a concise and frigid rejection, maybe even a “Stay for away from, lest I stab everyone in this room and then jump out of a window out of utter disgust”? She might as well get it over with and then move on to be alone for the rest of her life.

She wiped the water out of her eyes and squinted at the text message, before jumping out the shower with a loud curse. She hurriedly dried off and put on her clothes, before heading to the Miracle Box, rereading his message.

Emergency evac, one person, requesting Pegasus’ portal twenty kilometers horizontally above sea level precisely fifteen minutes after this message. Coordinates attached.

The message was sent ten minutes ago. How long was she catastrophizing for?!

Max was partying along with the rest of Paris while she took a breather in her art studio. Even with the full fifteen minutes she wouldn’t be able to find him in time. Shit, would she even be able to transform in time?

She grabbed the glasses from the box and Kaalki appeared in a proud flash. 

“No time, there’s trouble,” she panted. “Ready?”

“Hmph, of course,” Kaalki tossed her head. “Let’s go, shall we?”

“Kaalki, transform me!” She eyed the time, two minutes left. She memorized the coordinates as she searched for a suitable place for him to land, and realized she was going to have to catch him in her storage closet.

One minute left. She opened the door and cleared space in the center of the room.

Thirty-five seconds. She stood on an old chair that she moved into the center of the room.

Twenty seconds, and she called, “Voyage!” and threw the portal up towards the ceiling.

Zero. She braced for impact and caught a body that plummeted through in a free fall.

“Ow,” she closed the portal with a groan, amidst the shattered pieces of what used to be a pretty sturdy chair.

“Don’t complain, it could have been worse.” A deep voice rasped.

Wow, to think she missed him, that asshole.

“Shut up, Robi-- oh my god your arm! Get up, getupgetupgetup!” She hauled him up as gently as possible, annoyance giving way to concern.

Robin was, putting it lightly, a mess. He had lost his mask, his eye was swollen shut and his face was bruised with cuts all over, and he was sticky with blood practically everywhere she looked. It was his arm that she was most concerned about, however. It was set in a splint, but he must have been in a rush because it was set wrong, his thumb facing perpendicular lyaway from his body.

“I am fine,” he sagged into her, weary. “I just need a place to stay for the night.”

“If you weren’t so grievously injured, I’d throw you out for that,” she remarked. “But guess what? It’s your lucky night monsieur, and I’m a trained field medic.” Robin looked at her, maskless, and she had to dart her eyes away from his maskless face.

“Oh, so Ladybug finally started replacing her subpar lineup? About time, either she benched them or Hawkmoth would kill them at some point. They were woefully incompent.” Yep, this was definitely Robin, no doubt about it with that attitude.

She called off the transformation and was somewhat pleased when he reflexively jerked his head away. She pulled him into a princess carry and made her way back to the bathroom, inwardly delighting at his reaction. She would never let him live this down.

“It’s me, Robin. Ladybug. Pegasus couldn’t make it, so you’ll have to do with me instead of a random stand-in.” She raised her brow, not that he could see it.

“Unless that bothers you, Boy Wonder?”

“...I’m not,” he mumbled.

“Hm?”

“I’m not Robin anymore.”

What. What.

“What?”

“I’ve retired, effective as of nine months ago today, Robin’s cape has been hung up for the next generation.”

Relief didn’t come yet. “Oh, so you’ve taken on a new mantle? Or are you finally the next Batman, though it would take some time to fill those shoulders. Literally, I mean that literally, um.” She observed his downcast expression and once again started walking to the bathroom. When had she stopped?

“I’m not taking over anything,” he said sullenly. “I can’t. Not after what I did.”

“Come on, it couldn’t have been so bad,” she opened the door with her heel as she backed them towards the stool by the sink. She set him down carefully, taking full stock of his injuries.

“It was. Batman’s cowl has always represented a strict moral code, one that I’ve always...struggled to adhere to.”

Marinette bit her lip as she kneeled in front of him. He didn’t say anymore, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. She sighed and brought out her med kit from the towel cabinet. She was always like this with him.

With Robin (now not Robin?) she had always drawn a blank. She could read his emotions somewhat well, had a good grasp on his moods, and could have genuinely insightful conversations with him. It was only at crucial moments like this that she struggled. Even with Adrien she had always known what she wanted to say, but Robin was different. Everything about him screamed “one chance only” and that caused her mind to go blank. It was so unbelievably frustrating that she could scream.

Marinette handed the glasses to Kaalki and nodded towards her purse hanging on the door handle. The kwami zoomed towards it and soon disappeared into it with the miraculous.

“Robin,” she called gently. He didn’t move. “I’ll have to cut your shirt off, okay? I need to see where the blood is coming from.”

“It’s not mine.The blood.” He kept his gaze away as she froze.

“Well, we’ll have to reset that arm,” she tried again. “It’s not...it’s not looking good, to say the least.”

He looked towards his mangled right arm and nodded. 

It took some time to undo the splint and she tried not to think about where he had been for him to only have rotted wood and prison rags on hand. She cut his shirt off at the sleeve and down his middle, pulling it off and exposing a painful canvas of mottled bruises, scrapes, and cuts. She handed him her towel and he stuffed it in his mouth without a word. She gently untied the splint.

“Are you ready?” She gazed at him resolutely. He nodded and braced himself as best he could.

“On my count, one, two--” She re-broke his arm a count early on purpose.

“Arrghh! Ffuk!!” He jerked out of her grip.

“Hold still!” He spat out the towel and glared in response.

“Mizq dhiraei allaeaynat 'aw aidbitha!!!” She only understood ‘rip’ and ‘arm’ but she got the gist of his screaming.

“Alright it’s done now, I’m setting it, so stop moving,” She couldn’t help but sigh under his vicious scowl.

“Tsk. Be grateful that I can barely discern your features Ladybug. You’re on my shit list and I don’t feel like kicking your ass today.”

“Wow, thanks for saving me Ladybug, I could have died if it weren’t for you!” Marinette couldn’t help but snark at him.

“...tsk!” Yep, that was as good as she was going to get in his condition.

After years of fighting akuma victims she was able to observe the complex and hidden emotions of her opponents and the civilians that she rescued. And right now, her experience was telling her that Robin had more than his pride ruined. His self-confident, courageous, and taciturn nature seemed to be regressing as he fell back into what was probably a self-defense mechanism. For him to be like this instead of exhausted in his current state told her that he must have been through a lot since she last saw him.

She started to gently clean the blood off and noted the bruises underneath definitely came from an intense melee battle. Most of them were in places that made her cringe just looking at them. At least he doesn’t have any other broken bones, or stab wounds. Lucky him.

Robin put an ice pack to his face in the meanwhile and wouldn’t look in her direction.

It was quiet for a while. “So, what should I call you, then?” And she had to open her big fat mouth, didn’t she? Now it was awkward. It was awkward, and he hated her, and she was never speaking again, ever.

“Damian.” Uh oh.That didn’t sound like a moniker.

“Um, nice code name?” She started disinfecting his cuts and scrapes, trying not to panic.

“I no longer require such aliases.” Ok, process that later, heal Robin now. Process. Later.

“Ro--, Damian, uh, well,” She sighed.  “My offer still stands, you know?”

He made a quiet noise. 

“Last time I saw you, I mean. I had left in a rush,”-- after kissing you senseless-- “but I’m always here to listen if you want to talk about what happened.”

Robin, or Damian now, she still wasn’t used to that, froze. His brows furrowed and he strangely went red in the face, before sighing, slumping against the sink.

“I...the blood’s not mine. It hasn’t been my for a long time, but it might as well be for how long I’ve carried it. I’m not a good person so much as to blame myself completely, but I do recognize some of the fault as mine. I’d gotten help, and I was making progress, but it wasn’t enough. I started falling back into old habits and I hated it. I tried and I failed, and I kept trying and failing for months and I…” He gained a look of despair, the first real emotion she’s seen on him since he dropped in.

“I couldn’t do it anymore. I just kept disappointing everyone and I hated it so much,” he dug his fingers into his matted hair.

“So, I left. I decided to go on a journey to try and repent, and it was working, at least I thought it did. But, then I had stumbled upon a Shadows base and I…” He peered unseeing at the floor.

“It was like I lost all sense of reason. I lay siege to the entire facility and found my way to the next base. It all turned into an endless cycle, all the way until I reached headquarters and inadvertently met up with high ranking members of the Justice League, teaming up to diminish their power. We were successful, but a candidate for the position of the Demon’s Head activated the self-destruct module. Everyone was scrambling to get out and suddenly my mind felt clearer than it had ever been.” He took  a deep breath and Marinette moved closer to offer some comfort. He leaned towards her gratefully.

“The Justice League had already had an escape route, but the Shadows were in disarray for some reason. After I was sure my old comrades were out, I locked all the doors, and dived down to a ceremonial bathing chamber.”

“And that’s where I came in,” she whispered. I think I’m starting to like him more than I should. What is wrong with me?! Who made me this way?! She had some complaints in regards to that.

“You saved my life,” he inclined his head in an informal bow. “Thank you, Ladybug.”

“...Marinette.” She croaked suddenly. She was left reeling from his info dump and her intense, romantic feelings. So, why not go for a confession? 

Damian whipped his head up in disbelief.

“My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Enchanté, Damian.” She smiled at his bewildered state, wiping away a bit of blood under his chin. She opened her mouth to say more, but didn’t get the chance.

Damian leapt up, furious. “You fool! I knew you were a space cadet, but I didn’t think your brain drifted beyond the stars! How utterly moronic!”

“Wait, why are you so mad?!” She panicked. She kind of had a spur of the moment idea to kiss him on his split lip, but that was looking less and less likely to happen.

(Damn it.)

“You told me your name!” he shouted.

“Yes, and you told me your’s?” She retorted. 

“Have you forgotten Hawkmoth?! Your enemy that can read the minds of the emotionally disturbed should he decide to possess them!” He started to hobble out of the bathroom, still half-treated and mostly in pain.

Oh. 

Oh!

“I have to leave, now! If I can stay calm long enough to reach the trains then I’ll be moving too fast for a butterfly to suddenly get me.”

“Uh, Damian?”

“No, it might already be enroute to someone else and might even already be on board,” He winced and stumbled on the tassel rug in the hallway.

“Woah, hang on a second Damian,” she grabbed him before he could fall, but he pulled out of her grip.

“We don’t have time for this, I can guarantee that I would be one of the worst akumas you’ve faced in your hero career, nevermind the insider information I hold within my mind.”

“Yes, but listen to me,” Damian moved towards the small sitting area, not listening to her. 

Again.

“This safehouse should be around one hundred kilometers from the city limits, you’re safe for now, but Hawkmoth’s estimated rate of growth was--”

That’s it!

Marinette grabbed his jaw and slammed it closed. She had had enough.

“This isn’t a safehouse, we’re in my art studio,” she snapped. She could see the rage begin to build to new heights in his eye.

“No, shut your mouth, and listen!” A vein in his forehead started to pulse, but he didn't move to speak.

Good.

“Hawkmoth has been defeated as of last week, and the trial was concluded a couple days ago. Going by what you told me, you've been out the loop for almost a year, so you don’t know that my team and I had closed in on Hawkmoth’s trail some time ago and were able to build a solid case that’ll go through in a court of law,” She carefully let him go.

“So, you’re safe, I’m safe, and Paris is safe too.” She’d already started to calm down in the middle of her explanation, and idly noted that she should probably take an anger management class.

And sign up for therapy. Lots of it, preferably.

Damian nodded slowly as he rubbed his jaw and she couldn’t help her wince.

“Sorry, did I handle you too roughly? Come here,” she started to pull him back towards the bathroom. He resisted.

“No, it’s fine, no damage just from that much force,” he tugged his arm away but she quickly moved behind him and began to push him through the bathroom door.

“Well, I’m not done treating you, so get back in there.” He grabbed the door frame and pushed back, and her calm demeanor left as quick as it came. Was it even truly there to begin with?

“I said,” she picked him up and threw him back on the stool where he grasped for stability.

“Come here.” She leaned in close to his bruised face, and wow, the one eye that she could see was so very, very green. “I’m not done with you, yet.”

“...okay,” he whispered. He kept his head down.

It didn’t take long to finish disinfecting the rest of his wounds, and soon she started applying ointment to the worst of his bruises. She had enough, but she was definitely going to be restocking in order to play his nursemaid for the next week or so. She rose to her feet and started packing away her kit.

“I’ll give you some pain meds for the night, I’ll leave you to take care of the injuries under the rest of your clothes. Come find me in the kitchenette. I’ll make something for us, though it won’t be anything fancy.”

“That is fine.” Marinette frowned at the strange husk in his voice. Did someone try to suffocate him? Why hadn’t she noticed until now?

She kneeled beside him and reached around him for the water bottle she had left in there earlier, but noticed him twitch and start to blush. Did he get a fever too?

She observed his red face and clear, but dilated eyes. Merde, did she embarrass him from earlier? She knew he had a large ego, but it was his own fault for being stubborn.

“Here, get yourself some water from the sink,” she handed the glittery black bottle to him and hurriedly strode out of the bathroom, calling,

“Holler if you need me!” 

Completely aware of the flustered state she left Damian in. Though not for the reason she thinks, at least.

[justjessame]

Glorious, Before the Burden - The Light ~ 9

Loki listened to me talk about my home as though I were telling him one of the most incredible and interesting tales he’d ever heard. His attention never wavered, and he only spoke when I faltered - running thin on details or fading out and fearing that I was boring him - then he’d ask me a leading question, wanting to know MORE, always more.

“Why are you so curious about the tiny corner that I spent such a short time of my life in?” I’d earned a break - to refresh my dry throat and to study the prince that seemed so fascinated by me.

He leaned forward to refill the goblet I had once again emptied. “Because you long for it,” his voice, I was learning, was both lyrical and concise. “Though you spent such a short time there, it holds a precious place inside of you, Sigyn.” Our eyes met and his smile was soft - a new expression on a face that I was becoming more familiar with by the second. “So I wish to know more about it.”

I wasn’t sure how to - How would anyone respond to that? “I see,” was all I could manage.

“Do you?” It didn’t sound as challenging or laden with a dare as his other questions had.

“Our trip,” a change of topic, I thought, bursting the tense bubble that would grow around us at unforeseen moments, was the best option. “When should I be prepared to leave?”

“Soon,” he replied, not actually helpful, and he knew it when my eyes dropped to the table. “I want to be sure that you’re ready. Prepared for -”

“What precisely are you so fearful of?” Looking up, I met his gaze full on. “It’s not as if we’re relocating, my prince. We’ll be in Midgard for -” Actually, I had no idea how long we’d be gone for, Frigga hadn’t mentioned the length of our trip.

His smile was the amused one I knew all too well. The one that clearly said ‘you’re nowhere near as clever as me, and we BOTH know it.’ “Yes?” This question was definitely a challenge and a dare. How long were we to be gone, Sigyn? - was the undercurrent.

“Are we to pack everything and live among the Midgardians, Loki?” I tossed back at him. “If so, I do think we’ll be in preparations for a rather long time. After all, I haven’t a clue how to do -” I glanced around and shrugged. “Anything.”

Loki’s eyes were twinkling and his lips were twitching. “You really do think you’re quite clever, don’t you?”

“I KNOW I’m quite clever, actually.” Leaning back, relaxed, I smirked at him. “You believe you are because you have access to information that I don’t, that’s not clever, that’s just rude.”

One perfect eyebrow arched, as he considered my words. “Oh really?” A curt nod was all I’d give him. “Your sharp tongue might just get you in a great deal of trouble one day, Lady Sigyn.”

“Will it?” I asked, sitting up and staring him dead in the eye. “With the Midgardians?”

“Try closer to home.” He leaned forward, his eyes flashing.

Head tilting, I hummed as I contemplated who he could POSSIBLY mean. “Do you think your mother would want to punish me, my prince?”

“I think you’d do well to worry more about who is right in front of you, Sigyn.” I swallowed, not out of fear - the twist in my stomach didn’t feel like fright at all. “Think carefully before you continue to press your luck.”

Biting my lip, I watched his eyes flick down to catch the movement. “Luck?” Blue eyes met mine again. “Am I lucky, Loki?”

“Very,” he murmured. “It’s growing late -” that bubble, it could build and build until somehow even dusk wouldn’t register. “Allow me to walk you back to your rooms.”

By “allow me”, Loki wasn’t asking permission, he was giving me fair warning that he meant to accompany me and would be my very tall and substantial shadow - my new powers of self defense be damned. While we walked, he continued to draw out the conversation, without the underlying challenge and tension.

“Your hair is too heavy piled up,” he’d noticed, no doubt when I nearly collapsed after he forced me through the exercises to learn how to defend myself. “Perhaps if you weave the braids you normally wear together,” he was puzzling out a better option, and before I could give my own ideas - I felt my hair tumble loose. “There’s so much of it -” we were still walking, but I glanced over and saw his hand rise, his fingers reaching out and then they were sliding through the strands. “It feels like silk, how can it be so heavy?”

“You could ask first,” I wasn’t angry, more amused by his curiosity. His eyes met mine and his smirk mirrored my own. “Silk can weigh a great deal if it comes in a bundle, my prince.” His long fingers were still sliding through my hair. “Have you come to any conclusions as to how I should wear my hair while in Midgard?”

He didn’t speak, but as we continued on, he seemed as though his mouth had gone dry - because I did see him lick his lips a time or two, even after he pulled his fingers free of my hair.

By the time we reached my rooms, we had also discussed how - once we arrived in Midgard - we could easily use illusion to change our attire to suit where we chose to tour. Since Frigga wanted the trip to be a gift for me - Loki told me that I was to tell him if I did not find any part we came across appealing and we’d leave.

“Mother wants you to enjoy yourself, Lady Sigyn.” We had finally reached my rooms and a part of me wished we hadn’t. “Since I’ve been there before, don’t be shy, tell me how you find things and I’ll adjust our tour accordingly.”

“Frigga is too kind to me,” I shook my head. “And thank you as well, Loki.” He looked surprised by my gratitude. “You’ve been tasked with taking me to another realm - and we’re practically strangers - after you took it upon yourself to keep me safe while I’ve been wandering all these years.”

“Ah, that,” he seemed to shake off my gratitude like it was nothing. “I - No need to -” He gestured to my door. “I’m sure you’d like to take one of your baths and prepare for your evening.” He started to turn away, but I stopped him by touching his arm.

“Goodnight, my prince.” Loki’s eyes, so blue they almost glowed, met mine, and the soft flare of his nostrils made swallowing hard a necessity.

Jaw clenched so tight I thought for a moment I’d upset him, he murmured his own parting to me, “Sweet dreams, my lady.”

[these-are-the-first-steps]

“The Rise of Skywalker”- A Review from Memory

So it’s been a week since I’ve had to live with this film in front of my eyes, and a week and a half that I’ve had to grapple with the brunt of its sins. With a heavy sigh, I think I’m ready to go through the play-by-play of every plot hole in this film that I can manage from memory without the thing in front of me. And even then, the laundry list is hefty. Keep in mind that this is a FILM-BASED review only- I have tried to refrain from including new information we have learned since its release last Thursday in an effort to keep this as focused and topical as possible.

+The first scene of this film is weird. I’m all for watching Adam Driver wild out on some dudes, but it is never explained who these guys are and if it’s just Kylo ‘committing more slaughter’ (as the casual audience is wont to think) or if there’s something significant here. As the movie goes on and Kylo makes it clear that he’s under no one’s thumb, *and* that the object he was after was Sith, you start to get an idea that maybe those guys at the intro are No Good, but this is never explained or confirmed. To a casual audience with no interest in additional materials, it just looks like Bad Ole Kylo Doing More Bad Ole Stuff. *sigh*

+Exogol and Palpatine’s hideout looks like the Borg Cube from Star Trek: First Contact from 1996. This really smacked me in the face how similar it was.

+Snoke’s significance getting sniped by Palpatine in one fell swoop felt like two five year olds arguing over action figures in the sandbox. “No! He’s dead now! Now the good guys can go on their quest!” “Well if he’s dead now, it’s only because MY guy was the REAL bad guy! DOOSHDOOSHDOOSHDOOSH!!” Like….really? At least Palpatine’s never-spoken-of Snoke manufacturing lab was vaguely interesting. Too bad we never saw anything about that- what a story of intergalactic puppet-masters that would have made! We’re not here for clever storytelling, though, so moving on…

+I don’t think they should have included Leia in this film. It really added to the disjointed nature of this movie with flat audio, crippled dialogue, and CGI where Leia only really had one facial expression for 90% of her appearances. It really wasn’t worth it. I know Star Wars doesn’t do flashbacks (which, frankly, I appreciate a lot), but I think they could have utilized the IDEA of Leia better than her actual self. Leia was forced, it showed, and it wasn’t good. Honestly they did a WAY better job reviving Tarkin in RO.

+An incredibly unnecessary amount of new information for the third act of a series was introduced in this film, starting with Leia suddenly being a well-trained Jedi or something. At least enough to ‘train’ Rey, which…frankly wasn’t believable. Leia having the force was a given. That she distanced herself from active application of the Force as a residual reaction to the bombshell of Darth Vader being her father is what is, and always has, made sense. THAT is a nuanced perspective, but it gets thrown out in favor of not just shoe-horning Leia in to the movie, but also because they had no idea what else to do with her at all in this film. This is also why Leia shouldn’t have been in this movie the way she was.

+Oh, you knew Palpatine was behind all this the whole time, Leia? Really? Always there, huh? When in TFA it was always snoke? Obvious dialogue lift is obvious, but the use of it was just Bad and inconsiderate to the story.

+Poe’s backstory was published on December 18th, 2015 in a book called “Before The Awakening” that details the lives of Poe, Finn, and Rey leading up to TFA. Poe is the son of two famous Rebel fighters and he grows up with a nice quiet life on Yavin 4 learning about ships and loving to fly. He goes straight from his home world to joining the Republic navy. It’s a handful of months before Leia Organa picks up on him and brings him into the Resistance. Now…this is a backstory that is JJ Abrams approved, has been out since 2015, and yet Oscar Isaac said he ‘never knew’ Poe’s backstory, and JJ somehow thinks four years later that there is space in this incredibly concise timeline for him to become a drug runner. What?? This was possibly the BIGGEST wtf moment for me in this film. What in the actual world. WHAT.

+Sidelining old characters to pointlessly introduce new ones does not serve a story, it clogs it up, drags down its rhythm, and confuses the hell out of it. As seen by Zorri and Jannah. And out of those two, only Jannah carried any kind of actual literary weight, because for Finn, he’s found more people like himself. This sort of setup is a typical play to foreshadow where Finn eventually settles down and goes at the end of the war. But this is never expounded on or explained further. It’s just, BOOM, more former troopers and a girl who is suddenly irrationally attached to him at all times.

+Rose gets replaced by Jannah, a brand new character that we only know one single thing about, and who gets to latch on to Finn out of the blue while Rose is left at home or on a ship. It was weird. It was obvious. It was incredibly awkward to watch. There was no point to Jannah clinging to Finn like this. She was reduced from a strong character to a cringy clingy one, while Finn’s love interest was completely ignored.

+The ‘Journey to The Rise of Skywalker’ comics released a couple weeks before the film heavily implied we’d get a lot of great Rose and Rey team time. We received none of it. It felt like someone had jerked a present away from us and it was a gross omission.

+It is only by the very end of the film and after multiple watches that you THINK they are trying to hint that Kylo is spiraling, thus why Leia steps in in death, but it never ever gets shown. Never once are we let in on Kylo’s state of mind. In fact, never once are we let in on *any* of these characters’ states of mind. We never really see what they are feeling or thinking or going through. Kylo is nothing but action when in TFA and TLJ we see him falling apart. This is what bad direction looks like, and it takes a Real Talent to fuck up directing an actor like Adam Driver. Another big sigh…

+There are only two cool things about this movie- The bleeding of reality between Kylo and Rey, and Palpatine’s shadow senate. When Kylo and Rey fight and the red bits go flying on the floor, it screamed serious TLJ aesthetics to me that I had to blink a moment. I think this ‘Bleed-through’ of their realities is the only TLJ hold-over we were allowed. It was a genuinely fascinating touch, which is how you know it didn’t come from *this* film’s production office.

+When you stick three people in a closet together, you expect some sort of progress in two-thirds of the potential relationships in such a cramped space. We received no such thing. Forced Trio Time resulted in no character development and seemed more like an unnecessary comic relief vehicle than anything.

+In ‘Before The Awakening’ and ‘Rey’s Survival Guide’, both publications printed under JJ Abrams’s  blessing, we learn Rey named *herself* after a helmet she found in the desert. How is it Rey’s alleged parents know her fake name? Gross, gross plot-hole.

+Four years was spent emphasizing that you don’t have to come from anywhere ‘special’ to be Important to a big story. Then they threw it out. Post-TROS interview with JJ reveals it was because they ‘couldn’t think of how else to get rey engaged in fighting palpatine’. Because he wasn’t a nasty enough dude on his own? Seriously? This is pure negligence.

+Four years was also spent emphasizing that you also don’t even NEED the force to be important to the big story and make a huge difference to the future. But let’s throw that out, too, and give Finn the force. Clearly regular people are absolutely worthless in the Star Wars Universe, according to JJ Abrams.

+Finn is only used to babysit Rey the entire time they share screen time together. The number of times he shouts her name could be turned into a drinking game. It’s one thing to care about somebody, and another thing entirely to act like you’re their high school chaperone. The whole thing was weird and awkward.

+Zorri Bliss sounds like a stripper name and she served no purpose other than to shoehorn Felicity into a star wars movie. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Babu Frik is the only true-to-star-wars critter in this whole film.

+Leia literally goes and lays down on her own funeral spread? What was that about. And that’s what that was because why would her bed be out in the open like that? That was really, really weird. And the RoTJ medal throwback was just a tacky tether to the past.

+Everyone seems so irrationally tethered to the past in this film. Kylo Ren’s spent two movies desperate to ‘leave the past behind’ and I don’t blame him at this point because it’s getting exhausting.

+As stated previously, it’s only vaguely suspected but Kylo seemed to SUPPOSED to be spiraling. Adam Driver plays Kylo like a man finally free of the voices in his head, but the plot and dialogue point to an entirely different direction saying that REALLY the monsters have allegedly doubled-down and he’s even more unhinged than before. Here is a MAJOR indication of story re-working after the film has already been shot. Adam Driver, and Daisy for that matter, is a PRECISE actor. It seems almost impossible to tell a story with him that you did not originally MEAN to tell. And it shows. JJ tried to U-Turn the story but it absolutely failed- Adam’s Kylo Ren is a calm, free man, focused, who finally knows what his purpose in life is, and that is uniting with his Dyad in the force. When really JJ tried very hard to suggest that he was spiraling so hard and so ‘lost’ in the Dark Side that it took his mother’s last breath to swing him back around. No one is going to see that narrative. The only reason why I see this shoddy attempt is because I’ve been absolutely immersed in this shit since December 2015. But the main audience? This was absolutely not conveyed.

+Seeing Dark Side Rey was nothing but a ‘cool’ moment and actually served zero function to the plot. Rey was always shown as being Grey in the force and someone who struggled to maintain balance. If that whole scene was removed, it wouldn’t change anything.

+Kylo was never in a position to kill Rey on the Death Star, and Rey taking her cheap shot to stab him while he heard his mother’s voice is an attempt to convey how much seeing her Sith self affected her than Kylo’s already very faded aggression in this film but it failed. It was weird and out of character, and even coming to that conclusion took may rewatches to come to because there is NEVER a ramp-up to Rey’s darkside taking over long enough to stab Kylo- there’s no fire, no red eyes, no teeth, none of it, to indicate she was ‘overcome’ so it just looked like bad mischaracterization. Yikes.

+Kylo and Han’s moment on the Death Star is the most moving scene of the entire film. The dialogue starts out rather familiar, and it almost seems like a cop-out, until you realize….how many times has Ben had this conversation with himself?? He doesn’t seem shocked at all that his father is there. Not at all. In fact, that Last Conversation on the bridge of Starkiller comes off as a well-rehearsed dance that Ben puts himself through regularly. And every time he hopes it’ll be affirmation enough that it’s all been worth it. But here, at the last reenactment of the worst day of his life, the script changes. He surrenders. He says dad. And he rejects Kylo Ren forever. Harrison Ford and Adam Driver are two beautifully matched, talented actors and I’d watch a movie with the two of them in it any day. God bless them.

+Hux has been wasted for the past two films. He was Terrifying in TFA and Dom gave him such significant presence that I was genuinely terrified for what he might try in the future. But instead he was lost as comic relief. When it is comically delivered that HE is the spy, every single person in my movie theatre shouted “WHAT??” in a way that was not a Good what, but in a “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” kind of what, and I will never ever forget that. I hate seeing Star Wars diminished like this.

+Luke rehashing Obi-wan’s speech to him about how Rey MUST confront the Big Bad was an obvious rehash, and way too convenient to what Palpatine wanted. This whole appearance of Luke is very suspect, but that would be crediting them again with clever storytelling, which again this is not.

+Luke claims that Leia saw ‘the death of her son’ at the end of her Jedi Path, which one can assume why she threw it away. But then Luke says something bizarre about ‘hoping someone else would pick up her path someday’. Is that...is that not the same path leading to Ben’s death that she was avoiding in the first place? And if someone else picks it up, is that not no longer Leia’s path but that other person’s? Therefore, is not the outcome automatically going to be different and thus *avoid* Ben’s death? This was an attempt at supposedly clever foreshadowing or Mystical Talk or some shit, but all it was was dialogue that backfired in meaning spectacularly due to looping-in on itself too many times. Luke negates himself at the same time he tries to prove his point...which he then negates in the same breath. What a mess.

+All of Ben Solo’s lines were cut the last act of the film to stuff more pointless exposition at the END of film and to give more screen time to Ian McDiarmid. Ian’s great, but he’s not the main character of this series, and cutting Ben’s lines for this was Gross.  

+Space Horses? Really?? I didn’t like them in TLJ but at least there they had context- they had zero context here. The size of the horses and the ship they came off of was absurdly mismatched. Is that ship the TARDIS? That whole bit was so unnecessary and ridiculous, especially with zero setup. Which is amazing because this film is 90% set-up.

+All those ships at the end? That’s all it took? After books and comics going on about how everyone’s too terrified to help Leia because of FO scorched earth policy? Jesus it was weak, and too obvious a Deus ex Machina with THAT many ships.

+Palpatine’s Shadow Senate is cool. The idea that this guy trapped on an ugly planet stuck on Sith life-support couldn’t go two seconds without attention and praise to the point where he had to recreate the exact same senate he destroyed years ago is a concept I like. Is the Shadow Senate just in the *shape* of the old senate but filled with animated Sith proxies? Or is it actually comprised of the enslaved souls of former Senators now forced to attend the Emperor for eternity? Either way, destroying the Shadow Senate at least either set those souls free or sent them back to wherever they came from. That was actually interesting, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to learn more about such a genuinely creepy thing.

+Palpatine’s ‘we’re family’ routine drops the moment he realizes Ben and Rey are a dyad. This is suspicious, but considering the whole movie so far, it seems incorrect to giver JJ and Torrio credit for a possible mis-direct.

+Rey and Ben’s realities bleeding into each other is experienced again in swapping the light saber. This is cool. This is probably the coolest moment in the film. And then the coolness literally gets thrown into a pit when, instead of the both of them, as a Dyad, defeating Palpatine, Rey is left to carry the burden alone.

+Oh hey look a cop-out to save Rey from being bad- just have her reflect his own power back at him so it’s like he’s killing himself, wow, so original! The second Palpy revealed his gameplan about wanting to die, this became the obvious choice to both kill him and avoid giving him what he wanted. Eh….

+The Star Wars 9-movie series is the story of one man desperately begging anyone within hearing range to kill him, apparently. This is so, so old by the 9th friggin movie. 

+Ben Solo spends his entire life begging for guidance from his ancestors only to be ignored and Rey get all their attention instead. Ben Solo spends his entire life since the womb being a burden to his parents by merely existing and being manipulated by gross sith ghosts. But nah, let’s be parents to Rey and help out Rey. This is not to say she doesn’t deserve any of this, but to say there are priorities here- Rey has had a lonely life, but at least she had her sanity and was self-sufficient. Ben had neither his sanity or any control over his own life whatsoever. And to place Rey above Ben is a literal mess. The two of them were meant by the Force to rise TOGETHER, and it didn’t happen.

+Rey doesn’t disappear when she ‘dies’ after using the last of her life force to both feed Palpatine, fight him, AND defeat him. And yet while Rey has two strikes in her before kicking it, Ben, someone who is RADICALLY more trained in the force, its lore, and mechanics, only has one? This doesn’t make any sense.

+Rey has no reaction to the literal other half of her soul vanishing in front of her. Because this is a mangled JJ Abrams Finale(tm) and why should anyone, let alone his own characters, have any space to Feel? I mean, that’s not what movies are even about, right? Feeling and Telling A Story? It’s not that, right? Right?? JJ Abrams covers up Rey’s reaching-hands scar on her arm for the entire film, doesn’t address it, and apparently hates the shit out of it. I don’t know how the King of Cheese could possibly hate something like that. It was a weird and obvious omission, and frankly disappointing because the scar had come to mean something at the end of TLJ and it, like a lot in this film, got thrown in the trash.

+More forced trio time in the form of a group hug where nothing gets actually expressed because we ran out of space for dialogue 30 pages back.

+Anakin Skywalker viewed Tatooine, his place of enslavement, as the worst place in the galaxy. Luke Skywalker spent his entire youth trying to escape. Leia hated it on principle because it was where Darth Vader came from and where she herself had been enslaved in a gross gold bikini for a giant slug. Rey spent 14 years of her life dreaming of leaving the sand planet she was trapped on. But I guess that’s a fitting place to bury some memories, yeah? The place where nothing good ever, ever happened. That’s a nice spot, right?

+Rey Skywalker isn’t explained, is never led up to, and feels like a gross gimmie after four years of trying to create a Better Message that names don’t matter. HEAVY SIGH.

+Rey watches the two suns set as she is left with little more than she started- alone, on a sand planet, but this time taunted by the Twin Suns of Tatooine that the other half of her soul is literally missing and that she is now left with a gaping wound in her Force signature and her own spirit worse than if she’d just lost a Force Bonded mate.

+Ben Solo is left missing, vanished on a world that is supposedly a thin spot in the force, with no ghost, no presence, and no one to mourn him- not even by the other half of his very soul. THREE GENERATIONS of Skywalkers over NINE FILMS died to try and rescue their future embodied in the form of Ben Solo and it looks like it was for nothing. Instead, the incessant bad guy no one can move on from looks like he ultimately wins the day through an alleged granddaughter, and even that claim is on shaky ground considering the mistakes in the vision and how quickly the family conversation vanished upon the revelation that Ben and Rey are a dyad. Ben is lost, so every family member died for nothing, apparently. But hey, this is a Fun and Hopeful narrative, right?

+While the Final Order fleet is destroyed at the end, the First Order is.....still out there? It’s still out there. Nothing in that department has changed whatsoever. Leaders die. They get replaced. The cycle goes on. We spent three movies batting at a fly we didn’t even kill. Amazing.

Overall this movie is BRUTAL. Every other scene is a plot hole served to us on a silver platter, with the biggest insult being that they are plot points JJ created HIMSELF 4-6 years ago. This man literally shot himself in the face and then said it was fine as he bled out all over the film reels and it shows. If you were anyone who came along for the Additional Materials ride of the past four years, you were greeted by this film with a hard, swift, and REPEATED, backhand to the face. There was no reward here at the end of this road for fans, old and new, who actually paid attention and took an interest in the deeper lore surrounding this sequel trilogy. There was just a big fat Disney-branded middle finger as all your hard work and cash was ripped from you with a trademark villain laugh.

And that is what we’re left with.

This review does not go into detail over what we’ve discovered since the release of the film, either. That it was never finished in the editing room. That a current comic series, Rise of Kylo Ren, and what’s in the new TROS visual dictionary maddeningly contradict themselves. That allegedly SIX different endings were shot for this movie, and in the end the one they chose looks like it was *literally* reverse-engineered to confusingly kill, as JJ once called him, ‘The Other Half of Our Protagonist’. There is no time to go into detail about how Oscar Isaac just told us that noone in the cast knew that Rey Palpatine was going to be endgame except for maybe Adam when they made him do ADR declaring it with a masked face on screen (convenient). There is no room to show you the collective cast reaction they all gave to the end of the movie- none of them good, and John Boyega looking like he was holding back from punching something (he loved Kylo/Ben as much as the audience did and more). And there is no room to include what we will continue to find out as the days roll on about the tangled mess of a film that was edited and reedited, and how word on the street is a cocky director demanded Carte Blanche from Kathleen Kennedy, and I guess the story group too given the state of things, and then promptly self-destructed in the grossest, messiest end to a 40+ year series in cinema history.

There’s just no space.

But there IS a lesson.

And the lesson is this: No matter what, never stop investing in Story. Never stop caring about the details and about plot and about moving a story FORWARD. Never be afraid to move FORWARD. Look at TROS, the mess it is and the potential it had it in itself to be, and then look at the beauty that is TFA and the love that went into TLJ, and study that shit until it burns into your brain- Do not repeat those mistakes. Go out into the world and write better, shoot better, direct better, and BE BETTER. Because these producers and directors? They’re old and they’re on their way out. Just like the stable boy at the end of TLJ who secretly has the Force, know and realize that those of you out there reading this are the next generation of storytellers. YOU. And YOU, and I, and others out there like us who loved this series with our whole heart and who are watching it bleed out now on a floor that doesn’t give two shits about it, have the ability to make sure this NEVER happens again. But in order to do that….we have to pick up that pen. Pick up that pencil. Pick up that camera. Jot down that story idea and share it with likeminded friends. Go out there and CREATE, and create BETTER. Because it’s up to us now- the future of cinema is up to us. And my god, we have so much potential….

[violet-knox]

Time’s Swift Betrayal

Year 7 - Chapter 52

Summary: You shop with Severus at Diagon Alley and spend a night at the Leaky Cauldron before catching the train to Hogwarts the next day.

Word count: 7609

Warnings: A bit of naughty touching but no smut 

Previous Chapter - Chapter 1 

~

You were never one for clichés, but you could appreciate the beauty in a good poetic metaphor. It’s funny how relative time could be, changing for every person on the planet when all your clocks were synced to a particular hour, each hand clicking away with exact precision. Yet you could feel it pass slower during an exam, you could feel each second stretching when Dumbledore gave his beginning of the year speech, elongated with every year that passed. 

Time flies when you’re having fun. The expression that you only found all the more true as you grew older. Time flew when the words of a page snatched you into an unknown world. Time flew when you were on a broom with nothing running in your head but the goal of victory. But time had never switched gears, running at maximum speed into the abyss of your future when you were with Severus. It was hard to believe that summer had come to an end so soon when you’d barely managed to get through half of the things you had in mind. Still, you’d spent so much of it with Severus, working with him, taking walks after work, talking until nightfall. Nothing else could have made time speed by the way it did these last few months. 

“So, listen,” you said as you both closed up the shop for the day, making your way to the backroom to grab your belongings. “I was thinking, if you’re willing that is...” you paused, blushing at the request you had for him.

“What is it?” Severus noticed you anxiously lowering your gaze to the ground, tucking your hair behind your ear as you walked with your hands clamped shut. Something you only did when you were nervous. He looked down at you as he slipped his fingers between yours in comfort knowing his touch helped you loosen a little. 

“Well, school starts up next week and we still need to buy our textbooks before heading to London. We’ve saved up a lot of money, so I was thinking, maybe we could head to Diagon Alley a day early and-” 

“Take a room at the Leaky Cauldron and catch the train the next day?” 

You giggled as he finished your sentence and quickly spun you around when you stepped through into the dimmed backroom, pulling you into his embarrass by your waist. “Yes,” you whispered. “Exactly.” You wrapped your arms tightly around his neck and peered into his dark eyes. 

Severus felt like you’d pulled him out of a coma this summer, like the definition of joy he’d known for so long was a lie. It was odd how he’d always looked forward to the end of summer, but this year, especially with his father now out of his life, he wanted nothing more than to spend eternity running around with you in the large town of Cokeworth he’d never thought of exploring until you’d dragged him down to every corner, every store the place he’d grown up had to offer. Who knew how far the lake actually stretched, or how vacant the lots were up north. 

He’d watched so many Muggles file through Mr.Davis’s little bookstore, at least more than he’d expected (which was a count less than the number of people who’d chosen to live on Spinner’s End). He’d stocked up on so many books, lining the walls of his home with as many as his mother would allow. He’d never read as much as he did this summer, never smiled or laughed so much in his life. And he couldn’t believe it was coming to an end. 

“Shall I meet you at the bus station Sunday morning?” he asked. You tilted your head and smiled, pulling on his collar to bring him closer as you bit your lip. 

“I have a better idea,” you whispered, your eyes flickering between your hands and the crisp features of his face.

“Oh?”

“Why don’t you sneak into my room Saturday night,” you whispered, lingering your lips over his, denying him the satisfaction of the kiss you so teasingly offered, “And we can fly to Diagon Alley on my broom.”

Severus’ eyes flickered, the corner of his lips twitching into a loving smile. “Are you sure you want me sleeping over?” His voice so delicate, his fingers softly grazing against your cheek like he was afraid of shattering you. Severus didn’t want you to feel obligated to let him into your personal space having learned the hard way the consequences of doing such a thing uninvitingly. 

“I’d love to have you over,” you smiled at him, tilting your head and leaning into his touch. “No one will notice. My room is small, but it’s all mine.”

Severus let his fingers drift down to follow your jaw, hooking under your chin. He brought your gaze up, his eyes searching yours. You slipped your hands down his chest and took fists full of his shirt, lightly tugging forward, daring him to make a move. 

“I can always just wake up early and meet you at your place if you’d prefer.” He almost choked on his words watching the lust swim in your eyes. You smirked, listening to his voice crack in defeat. He didn’t mean what he said, you knew he was only concerned about overstepping. 

“No, we both need our sleep,” you said pressing your fists into his chest, pushing him away ever so slightly. “Besides, you’d have to wake up way too early to come over before sunrise if we want to stay hidden from Muggles while flying.”

“Mmm, how dare they wake up and look at the clear summer sky,” he mumbled sarcastically, watching as you took a step back, pulling him along with you until you let him go completely and made your way to the back of the room.

“Yes, what type of animal would do such a thing,” you jokingly added. Severus smiled as he walked behind you, watching you slug your bag over your shoulder before doing the same. 

You turned to make your way out when you felt his arm slither around your waist, pulling you into his chest and his lips gently press against your temple. You closed your eyes and revealed in his low self-restraint, taking whatever affection he could get from you.  

“What time do you want me over?” he asked, holding you in place as he spoke. 

“Come by at sunset and I’ll meet you at the bus stop,” you replied before placing a hand on his shoulder and leaving a quick teasing peck on his cheek. 

Severus shot you a quick smile before taking your hand as you both made your way out of the bookshop making plans for the weekend. Summer had come to an end, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy the little time you had left doing something besides working all day together. 

You’d made this summer absolutely enchanting for him and here you were offering yet another opportunity to lavash in your presence before heading back for your final year at Hogwarts. Even just walking to the bus stop with you now, listening to you plan for the weekend, he felt lightened, like he could listen to you talk all day. 

“How many books did you bring?” you asked, leaning down to pick up two of the packages Severus had set on the ground while waiting for you at the bus stop you’d previously agreed upon. 

“Enough to last us the year,” he said, gripping his Hogwarts luggage in one hand and taking a package from your hand with the other. You lead the way as you hugged his second stack of books, pressing it into your stomach.

“At least we don’t have to buy too many new books this year,” you stated. “We’re even using last year’s book for Transfiguration.” You were rather surprised to see your Professors taking their time as they made their way through the curriculum last year. Though you supposed it made since if they were planning to continue through the rest of the material their textbooks had to offer in your last year. 

“N.E.W.Ts classes normally keep their material concise and focused so it’s rare to see Professors covering a large textbook,” Severus informed you. 

You smiled up at him, loving how much he knew about the Wizarding World and only wished he was there to guide you in your first year. Professor Sprout had been assigned to help you buy textbooks and materials after Dumbledore had come to inform you of your situation. The Herbology Professor was kind and never stopped herself from answering your ridiculous questions, but it would have been a much easier transition if someone your age had been there to help you through it all. 

Your lack of knowledge was probably why you’d found yourself in the library second day at Hogwarts, trying to catch up on everything there was to know about the Wizarding World you’d missed out on the first eleven years of your life. You’d refrained from asking your housemates questions unless absolutely necessary, and though you’d managed to receive grades to contrast with your peers who’d grown up in Wizarding households, it just wasn’t the same. When you’d met Severus, grown close to him, you’d began to rely on his knowledge, grasping at every word, trying to live through the hands on experience his mother had shared with him. 

Even now, talking about your N.W.E.Ts, the information he shared with you was something you would never read in a book. 

“Good, less studying for us,” you said with a huff of content, thinking about a school year with less endless study nights and more visits to Hogsmeade, more time to play Quidditch and simply exist in the presence of your loving boyfriend.

“Mmm, don’t be so quick to assume such a thing. Our N.E.W.Ts exams are done to test the applicability of the skills we learned in each class.”

Your smile was quick to fade as you finally began to understand why you’d gone so in-depth into your subjects last year, regretting focusing so much on Transfiguration rather than split your time evenly between all your classes. Of course, you’d no doubt feel the ramifications of such a decision this year.

“Great,” you mumbled. 

“At least you’ll have Quidditch this year to keep you leveled,” he offered, attempting to bring up your spirits, but his comment clearly didn’t have the effect he’d hoped for as he watched your shoulders drop along with your gaze.

“Right.”

You’d almost forgotten you’d made Captain last year, and you’d planned to create a game plan over the summer to help you manage the team better, but with everything that went on, time slipping away from you so quickly, you hadn’t gotten a moment to think about how you’d hold trials, what types of strategies and moves you’d want the team to learn. 

“You’ll do amazing love,” Severus was quick to throw an arm around your shoulder, pressing his lips to the top of your head in comfort as you arrived at your destination. “I can’t wait to see you back on that broom.”

You smiled to yourself and opened the door for him, gently closing it behind you before making your way up the stairs. Severus followed your quick movements, turning left and watched you head straight for the third door down the hall, opening it and inviting him in. 

He looked around your quaint little sleeping quarters with curiosity glimmering in his eyes. It was smaller than he’d remembered; barely large enough to fit a twin sized bed and a closet with a large pile of books crammed in the corner. Despite its size, it still had his chest warming with amour and every item in that room reminded him of you. 

“What?” you said, placing the package of books in the corner of your room and turning back around to see Severus wearing the most childish smile you’d ever seen. 

“I love your room,” he said as he stepped over towards you, placing the rest of his belongings under your window. 

“No you don’t,” you giggled. “It’s small and sad.”

“But it smells like you,” he said, pulling you in by your waist, your arms wrapping around him. 

“Oh?” You bit your lower lip to keep from smiling. “Is it a smell you like?” you teased. 

“Very much,” he whispered, nudging to capture your lips. You slowly moved a hand to cup his jaw, his thin lips soft against yours. Severus moved his hands to grip your hips before he felt your hand slip from over his shoulder, down to grab his shirt and slowly tug him forward as you walked backwards towards the bed. 

His fingers dug into the fabric of your trousers, parting from your kiss only to turn his head the other way and crash into your lips again as he walked with you. You felt the edge of the bed hit the back of your knees and was about to pull him down, but it was Severus who pressed down on your hips and lunged forward as you both crashed down onto the bed. 

The fall had you both springing apart, and you took the opportunity to slide back to the head of the bed. Severus kneeled, following your slow crawl as you rested your head onto your pillows. You gladly parted your legs and allowed him to place himself between them, your hands quickly finding the collar of his shirt as you pulled him forward to reconnect your lips. 

His hair showered over you as you felt his weight slowly pressing down on you. Severus cautiously lowered himself on top of you, his elbows firmly placed at your sides, propping himself enough to keep from crushing you. 

“I love that you’re here with me,” you said, eyes flickering in lust as you parted.

Severus took in a deep breath, smiling as he moved his lips against yours for one last quick kiss before trailing down to the crook of your neck, sucking and biting your skin. Your hands were quick to dart up from his waist to bury themselves in his hair. You closed your eyes, your heart racing as you focused on every move he made, the feeling of his tongue against your skin sending sparks through your body.

“We should get ready for bed,” he whispered before gently biting your earlobe. Your heart almost stopped at his movements, his lower body pressed against yours, his chest hovering over your own, his voice echoing through your ears. How dare he say you had to stop. 

You groaned in protest, keeping your eyes screwed shut, your hands gripping fists full of his hair, encouraging him to taste every inch of your skin.

“We have to wake up early tomorrow,” he mumbled against your skin, “and don’t forget. This was your idea.”

Your eyes shot open as you huffed in annoyance. “Fine,” you said, pushing him off of you and immediately springing from the bed to retrieve shorts and a tank-top from your dresser. 

Severus watched you open the closet door and reach for the top drawer on the left. He made his way over and wrapped his arms around your waist, pushing you into him and leaving small kisses on your cheek. You closed your eyes a moment, pausing your movements and leaned into his touch before you felt him pull away and make his way to his luggage. 

You quickly found what you were looking for and made your way over to the door, closing it behind you to go change in the washroom. 

Severus had been here less than twenty minutes and yet you’d never felt so at home than in this moment since living here. Despite his irreparable responsible manner, you were glad he’d accepted your invitation to make such a trip together. You’d soon spend two nights in each other’s company and sufficient to say, you were nervous, but excited nonetheless. Your first time at Diagon Alley together, your first Gringotts vault, your first time sleeping at a hotel, one located at the heart of the Wizarding World in London no less. There wasn’t a single thing about tomorrow you dreaded except perhaps the very probable possibility of time betraying your need to cherish every moment and speed up the clock instead. 

You paused outside your bedroom, hand over the doorknob as you smiled to yourself. Opening the door, you found Severus removing the covers before his head shot up to watch you close the door and flick the lights off. He slipped into your bed and waited for you to do the same as you leaned over to turn off the lamp on your bedside table before settling into the bed. He wrapped an arm around your waist and you both squeezed close together, just barely filling up the entire bed as your body easily relaxed not long after.

Severus watched as you effortlessly fell asleep, gently stroking your hair when you’d twitch to help ease your mind as it drifted, feeling thankful he was able to end such a delightful summer with the girl he was so deeply in love with. Sleep didn’t find him for a while; too elated to feel your body completely pressed against his, your breath evening to a constant state as you fell deeper into your dreams. But he eventually found his way, joining you in a deep sleep filled with nothing but love filled dreams.

The sudden sound of a rather obnoxious beeping, rapidly repeating in alarm, had Severus jolting from his spot, leaning on his elbow, failing to remove himself from bed to find the source of such a horrid sound.

“What is that?” he asked, frantically rubbing his eyes.

“My alarm,” you said as you quickly reached over and blindly slammed your hand down on the nightstand to end the suffering you’d put yourself and Severus through. In hindsight, you probably should have warned him last night you’d set it, but his mere presence distracted you, had you forgetting all the plans you had and instead kept you living in the moment. “We need to get ready.”

You turned to face him, any notion to remove yourself from where you lay thrown out the window as your eyes landed on the raven-haired boy beside you, sleep still dwelling around him, his eyelids heavy yet his hair remained slick and rather tidy. 

“What a horrible sound to wake up to,” he mumbled, edging closer to you, his hand slowly moving up and down your side. 

“It gets me up when I need it,” you giggled, closing your eyes as you revealed in his touch. You definitely wouldn’t mind waking up to a Muggle alarm each morning if it meant he was the first thing you’d see when you opened your eyes. 

“It’s still so dark, can’t we stay in bed a little longer?” Severus said in protest, wanting nothing more than to stay wrapped under these covers with you. 

“Sunrise is in a half hour Sev. We need to get going so we won’t be seen.”

He smiled at you, eyes finally cracking open to take in the beautiful sight before him. He could only imagine his luck if he was ever blessed with the opportunity to wake up beside you every day, to kiss you good morning and start his day by simply existing in your company.

You both let out sighs of protest as you removed yourself from your bed to get ready for the long trip ahead. Sneaking around while gathering your things was a bit chaotic, but you managed to escape the premise rather quickly, making your way to the abandoned lot a few blocks over. 

Looking up at the sky, you made the assumption you had a few more minutes until the sun made an appearance, giving you just enough time to find some coverage. It was lucky the sky had decided to fill with clouds today, though perhaps luck had nothing to do with it. You’d always suspected the weather to bend at least somewhat to your needs when Dumbledore had told you of your magical inheritance, always sunny when you were happy, cloudy or sometimes even rainy when you were upset. Of course, it all could have been a coincidence and surely it would have played in your favor during Quidditch rather than occasionally drenching you in rain. But it was nice to think yourself special, unique compared to the other witches and wizards in your world. 

You placed your luggage on the ground and went to jolt open the kickplate of your broom. Severus carefully set down the mountain of luggage he carried as you mounted your broom, lightly kicking off the ground to hover above the surface. You patiently waited, admiring the care he put into securing all his books along with the new suitcases you’d bought together after work one night. It took a lot of convincing, but you finally managed to drag him out to buy new ones. 

Severus threw his leg over your broom as he mounted it behind you, wrapping his left arm around your waist, his right pointing his wand at your luggage. You watched them float off the ground and waited for Severus to give you the go ahead before you kicked off and flew into the air. 

The wind wove through Severus hair, the feeling jarring to him. Last time he’d ridden a broom he’d struggled to mount it, the bloody thing whipping back and forth trying to throw him off as his classmates laughed at him. His own housemates snickering along with Potter and his friends rather than stand up for him. A foolish eleven-year-old boy, lost and mocked by the world. 

He was so absurdly lucky to have met you, to date someone who complimented him so well. You strived where he lacked and held him up at his weakest. You completed one another and it was more than he ever could have asked for.

You had quite the long ride ahead of you and though you were nervous about flying for so long, you accepted the challenge and hoped it would help kick start your flying skills before the new Quidditch season. Of course, it helped to have Severus in your company, supporting you throughout the journey.

“You’re doing great,” you heard him say as he buried his face in the crock of your neck. You were suddenly very glad you’d decided to tie your hair off, completely forgetting how it would be flying in his face right about now if you didn’t. 

You gripped your broom with your right hand, your eyes focused ahead as your left removed itself from its position and gently rubbed the arm encircling your waist. You smiled as you felt him hug you closer, comfortably nuzzling into your neck as you went to grasp his hand, quickly removing it to press your lips to his knuckles in gratitude. 

Severus stiffened, his eyes screwed completely shut when he felt his hold on you fumble, your hand pulling him away from the security of your body. His heart pounded against his chest in fear as his feet planted themselves firmly on the kickplate of your broom. 

“You all right Sev?” you asked, his hand shooting straight back to gripping your waist as you felt his nails dig into your side. He was tense. Something you had never seen before, not even during exam season.

“Fine,” he mumbled against your skin, “Just not a big fan of flying.”

You held your breath in the fear of missing a single word he said. He spoke so softly, voice so low and with the wind howling in your ear, it was hard to listen.

“Oh?” you said invitingly.

“I uh, wasn’t very good in first year,” he stumbled over his words, embarrassed about the mention of his past failures.

“And you haven’t flown a broom since?” you asked, rather shocked at the information you were receiving. 

“No,” he simply stated, turning his attention to the luggage flying beside him in the hopes you’d drop the subject. 

“Well, that needs to change.”

You smiled, secretly accepting the challenge of teaching Severus to fly, though it would obviously have to wait. A trip like this required an experienced flyer and you weren’t about to risk your safety because you wanted your boyfriend to love flying a broom as much as you.

The sun shone bright in the sky as you continued your way to London, rejecting every offer Severus gave of taking a break knowing you wouldn’t be able to regain the coverage the clouds had to offer. 

“We’re nearly there.” You remained fully alert, Severus’ words ringing in your ear.

“How can you tell?” you asked, your hands cramping up after holding onto your broom for so long. You were physically drained from the journey you’d taken, your arms begging to be stretched, your back protesting in pain. Severus was no doubt just as exhausted, having to keep his focus on all your belongs flying next to you. 

“There!” he said, letting you go, pointing through the clouds to a large building down to your left. He shot his arm straight back around your waist not a second later, his hold on you tighter than ever, his muscles aching, a small migraine settling into his temple. “That’s the theater, and there’s the garden.” 

He nudged in the direction he’d pointed out before resting his chin over your shoulder. Holding you so close gave him the strength he needed to power through this trip, and he was sure he’d have passed out from concentrating so hard these last few hours if it wasn’t for your company. “Lower us down a little. See that narrow back alley behind the theater?”

You hummed as you nodded your head. 

“Land us there and we can walk the rest of the way.” 

You immediately leaned down on your broom, pulling it to the left to do as he asked, staying hovered over the thin layer of clouds to keep from being spotted. Severus closed his eyes, face completely buried into your neck as you descended. He felt his stomach drop, his heart pounding against his ribs. This had to be his least favorite part about flying; the descent.

The grip he had on you tightened the further down you flew. You subconsciously went to place a hand over his arm, rubbing circles against the soft fabric of the sweater he wore in comfort. 

“We’re almost there love. Just a bit further,” you said, feeling his stress levels rise as he clenched his jaw. He smiled, his eyes opening just enough to watch you slowly move your hand over his arm. He focused on your touch, suppressing the sound of cruel unwarranted laughter ringing in his ears, clinching on your words instead. 

The ground finally made itself apparent. Severus lifted his head, preparing to land on his feet and settle the luggage down. You slowly hovered yourselves down as opposed to the quick abrupt stop you’d normally opt for in the hopes of easing Severus down. Your feet landed firmly on the concrete of the road before you slowly propped up your broom, Severus lowering your luggage to the ground. You pushed the kickplate back in place and watched as he leaned against the wall of the theater, slowly letting his body give way as he lowered himself to the ground. You quickly set your broom alongside the rest of your belongings before heading over and crouching down with him.

Severus felt his stomach turn, the soft touch of your fingers gently pushing away his hair distracting him from the dizziness and slight nausea.

“You okay?” you whispered, running your fingers through his hair. Severus simply buried his face into your chest and wrapped his arms around you, matching his breaths to the beat of your steady heart. You were an amazing flyer and he wouldn’t have asked you for anything more, but he didn’t feel as though he’d ever get over that tragic moment in first year, the beginning of a very long run of jokes and pranks. 

You checked your watch and realized you’d arrived faster than initially anticipated. The clock hadn’t even struck eight yet and you were thankful you’d powered through the trip, giving Severus a bit of time to recover. Pecking the top of his head, you soothed him until he motioned to remove himself from where he sat. You both removed your sweaters and stuffed them into your suitcases, along with your broom before making headway towards Diagon Alley. 

The street was just as magical as you’d remembered. The few wizards and witches out this early dressed in robes. You could see Olivander a few shops down unlocking his store, the sign that normally hung above the window springing forward as soon as he opened the door. Lights began to illuminate the windows of open shops, their owners no doubt preparing for the storm of Hogwarts students that was to come

Passing by the Leaky Cauldron, you both made your way to Gringotts, taking advantage of your early arrival and beating the line at the bank, knowing how much time it would take to set up two entirely new vaults as opposed to simply converting your Muggle money like you’d both done in previous years. The ceiling was much higher than you’d anticipated, pillars of gold stone lining the walls behind the Goblins working at their desk. The design on the marble stone below your feet circling in slow movements. Magic filled the air and you suddenly felt nostalgic walking up to the clerk at the front who asked for your wand. You stood there a while before he handed you a key announcing your vault number and returning your wand. He asked you both to follow the Goblin to his left after Severus opened his own vault, handing him his key and wand. 

The quick trip down to your vaults had your stomach flipping in anger and you suddenly wished you’d gone to the Leaky cauldron first to lie down for Severus’ sake. You were amazed by how quickly they’d converted the Muggle currency you’d handed over, stashing it in your vault before you’d even arrived. Grabbing a generous amount of Galleons, you stuffed your money bag to its brim and quickly made your way back to the cart that took you to Severus’ vault. He did the same and quickly jumped back in, asking the Goblin to take you to the exit.

“I’m exhausted.” you said, setting down your luggage and throwing yourself on the king-sized bed of the room you’d taken at the Leaky Cauldron. 

You hadn’t realized just how much you’d saved up from previous summers until Severus shared with you how much he’d made working with you these last few months. Still he insisted on splitting the cost of your shared room despite your offer to pay for it yourself. 

“So am I.” Severus plopped himself next to you, the bed bouncing as his weight hit the mattress. You smiled and brought your attention to him as he turned on his side. “But we still have some shopping to do,” he whispered into your ear, throwing his arm over your waist and nuzzled closer to you as he closed his eyes. 

You wrapped your arm around him, feeling his body semi-atop you finally relaxing. Shopping. Like he’d be thinking about something so energy consuming when he couldn’t even keep his eyes open. “Can we rest for an hour before we join the chaos?” 

“Sure, love. Whatever you need,” he mumbled, making himself quite comfortable in your arms. You smiled at his words knowing perfectly well he needed to rest far more than you. Naturally, you’d take any opportunity to lie there next to him, his scent filling your nostrils, his arms greedily wrapped around you, though you were rather excited to explore Diagon Alley with him, especially when the list of your needed school supplies was so short. 

Severus felt your chest rise and fall under his arm, his heartbeat finally settling into place, a rather calming rhythm playing against his chest as he moved his arm up enough to place them under your clothed breasts. He moved his right leg between yours and contently let out a soft purr as you wove your fingers in his hair. He’d very gladly hex the person who told him he couldn’t stay in this exact position the rest of his life and though he very well intended to do just that, the time came when you both had to drag yourself from bed and head to replenish your potion ingredients and buy the few new textbooks needed for the new school year before retiring for dinner. 

“Sev, look!” you gasped, immediately joining the crowd around the window outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. You edged as close as you could get, pressing your nose against the glass. “It’s the new Quicksilver six!” Your eyes lit up with joy, what little energy you had left spiraling out of you as excitement, your eyes hooked on every inch of the broom on display. “That’s my Quidditch number,” you whined. 

Truth be told you’d been saving for quite a while to buy a new broom, the one you had was good and all, but it was an old model, much slower than those you competed with. This had to be the perfect opportunity to splurge a little, a clear sign from the universe to end your last year at Hogwarts with a bang, carrying a broom whose model matched your Quidditch Number.

“You look like you’re seriously considering purchasing it,” Severus said watching you fall head over heels for the broom in front of you. 

“I-Well, I just want this last year to go off without a hitch and that means winning the Quidditch Cup. This broom is said to be five times faster than the one I have. Imagine Sev, how fast I can fly with it!”

You couldn’t help but long over the broom wishing you’d one day afford such a luxurious item. But it seemed for now, you’d have to either settle for your current broom or a model much less expensive than this one. 

“I can pitch in if you like.”

You spun your head back in his directions, eyes wide. It was such a sweet offer, he knew how much this meant to you and it was absolutely adoring to see him want to support you in such a way especially after you’d learned how he felt about flying.  

“N-no Sev, I’d never ask that.” You shock your head, dismissing the idea of sharing such a hefty price tag when you both had worked so hard to save up.

“I’m offering,” he said, taking your hand and looking you in the eye when he saw you lower your gaze. 

“You sure?” you whispered, giving him a sheepish smile.

“Absolutely,” he said, nodding his head, loving the exhilarated look that washed over your face as you quickly took his hand and practically ran through the door of the shop. Any amount of Galleons was worth seeing that look on your face, like a little girl celebrating her birthday, skipping back to your room, holding her new broom like it was her most cherished item she owned. 

It took a lot of convincing to tear you from your room, leaving the broom behind to grab dinner but he finally managed to drag you downstairs for a quick bite before he found himself sitting on the bed, admiring the look in your eyes as you lay on the ground, fingers going over every detail of your new broom. 

“It’s absolutely stunning Sev, thank you! I’d never have bought it without your help.” You’d done nothing but thank him all day after he'd practically emptied out his money bag, having to go back to the bank to refill it after dinner. 

“Come up here,” he said, patting the empty spot beside him, “we’ve both had a long day and are in desperate need of rest.” Not to mention that this was the first time he’d had a king-sized bed to share with you and he was more than ready to take advantage of the few hours you had left before you both nodded off to sleep.

You looked up from your broom and watched his eyes twinkle. How could you deny him after what he’d done for you today, that look he gave you reeling you in. Pressing your lips together, you tried to repress the smile that made its way onto your face as you quickly stood up and began crawling to the head of the bed. 

“I think this was the best summer I’ve ever had,” you said happily joining Severus, making yourself comfortable, placing your head on the pillow as you stretched out your back. 

“You know,” he spoke softly as he carefully adjusted to climb on top of you, caging you beneath him with his arms and legs on either side of you, “I bet my summer was better than yours,” he said as he peppered you with kisses all over your cheeks, jaw and neck. You giggled, throwing your head back in lust as you let your hands freely explore the contours of his body. 

“How do you figure?” You pushed on his chest, flipping him over and straddled his waist as you began to return his kisses. 

“I got to spend it with the most amazing girl. She’s beautiful,” he said as he held your waist, enjoying your lips pressed against his jaw. “She loves the same books I do.” His eyes closed in adoration as one hand slid up, burying his fingers in your hair. “She’s brilliant…” A shallow breath escaped him when he felt your teeth lightly graze against that special spot of his. “You’d love her.”

You pulled yourself from him, shoving him onto his back at his last sentence and began to chuckle, settling yourself into his lap as you bit your lower lip. Letting your smile overtake you, you moved his hands from your waist down to your hips, silently inviting him to do a little exploring of his own. 

“Tell me more,” you whispered before leaning back down, connecting your lips. Once parted, you tucked some of your hair behind your ear before shifting down to leave gentle love marks all over his neck.

Severus cautiously moved his hands up over the sides of your breasts as you undid the top button of his shirt and began to nip at his collarbone. You moaned and pressed yourself closer to him as you felt him gently moving his thumbs to rest atop the underlining of your bra. He smiled when he saw how pleased his motions made you. Feeling a rush of confidence course through him, he quickly pushed you over so he was back on top. He began to slowly unbutton your shirt, kissing every inch of new skin that was revealed to him, lingering his lips over your skin before moving further down. 

“You are the kindest,” he said between kisses, “Most beautiful. Most caring. Person I have ever met. And I love you. So much.”

You smiled and closed your eyes as he trailed kisses above your left cup down to the center of your chest. He didn’t want to push any further, so he settled for trailing his tongue over your exposed cleavage, lavishing in your taste. Pausing at the center of your chest, between your breasts, he began to suck and bite, until he was sure there was a mark, his right hand trailed down the curve of your body, resting on your hip. You moaned each time he lightly bit down, his hand squeezing your thigh as you buried your fingers in his hair, bringing him closer, occasionally tug when you felt your heart skip a beat. 

Your body temperatures rose as you continued to lose yourselves in each other’s touch. His thin figure fitting perfectly between your legs, his lips complimenting your own. You were living in absolute bliss, having you dread the separation that was to come tomorrow when arriving at Hogwarts. 

You could understand the split between girls and boys of each year but being split by houses had to be the most ridiculous rule the school enforced, and you never hated it more than you did now. If only you’d been sorted in Slytherin along with Severus, you could have spent all night in the common room by the fireplace or perhaps he’d allow you to sneak into his dorm and sleep next to him. 

You’d failed to mention it, but the night before when he’d slept in your bed had been the most comforting and restful night you had. Tonight of course was no different as you found yourself huddled against his chest despite the large amount of space the bed had to offer. Perhaps it was all for the best. If you’d been sorted into the same house, surely, you’d become sick of one another and that was the last thing you wanted. 

It was only a year. Less than that, it was ten months. Ten months and you’d finally be free of the forced separation between you and Severus. Ten months and you could start your life with the boy you adored so much. You just had to hold on for ten more months.

 You woke up first the next day and looked up to see Severus fast asleep, his chest so subtly rising and falling beneath you. He looked so peaceful with his hair covering half his face, mouth slightly ajar, soft breaths escaping his lips as he dreamt. He had one arm around your waist, the other placed over yours which lay on his chest; his grip on you so firm despite his deep slumber. Still you managed to slip your hand from under his to brush hair out of his face, careful not to wake him.  

Settling back down into place, you peeked over to the clock hanging on the wall and decided to let him sleep for another hour before you had to leave to catch the train. You both needed the rest after the long day you’d had yesterday. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to stay lying next to one another a while longer. 

You felt soothed in his arms, the daylight sun peeking through the curtains and illuminating your room. Nothing would have made that hour any better except the absence of time’s obnoxious decision to run away from you. 

Sighing as the clock struck ten thirty, you leaned back up and began to kiss his neck, then his jaw, then his cheek, until you reached his soft lips. 

Severus shifted when he felt the familiar feeling of your loving kisses and opened his eyes just as you pecked him on the lips. He smiled before jolting forwards, reconnecting your lips for a proper kiss and hummed contently as you parted.

“Morning,” he said, eyes half open, voice raspy, still half asleep. 

“Morning,” you replied softly. “We need to get ready to catch the train.” You leaned up on your elbows, lying beside him as you watched him rub his eyes and turn towards the clock.

Severus immediately sat up in shock as he went to reread the time, hoping his eyes were deceiving him. 

“I meant to wake up two hours ago,”’ he said. “I wanted to eat breakfast with you.” He turned towards you, the disappointment in his voice filling the room. 

Sitting up, you cupped his cheek and searched his eyes. He looked absolutely devastated, and it broke your heart. “We can eat on the train,” you said, trying to compromise with his plans and time’s betrayal.

Severus bowed and lowered his gaze in dismay. He knew the time you had together was limited and wanted the last day you had together to be perfect before the Hogwarts Houses separated you both. This was the last day he could have shared a meal with you, and it was ruined by the simple act of oversleeping, something he’d never done until today. 

“I’m going to miss eating with you,” he mumbled. “Sleeping next to you.” He brought his gaze back to you and smiled. The weekend hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but it was the best getaway he could have ever dreamt of having. 

“I know,” you whispered, taking his hand, his fingers dancing with yours before intertwining with one another. “Me too.”

It was hard to stay positive and remove yourself from the safety of this bed when you knew you’d be headed to ten months of secrecy, hiding your love for a Slytherin from your house and constantly working to find time alone.

“Come on,” you said, finally jolting from the bed. “If we hurry, we can grab a snack before we leave.” 

Severus smiled as he followed your move and began packing everything, preparing for the ride to Hogwarts. He always used to count down the days till the Hogwarts Express took him back home, but this had to be the one and only time he’d instead begun counting down to the day he knew he’d dread. The day he knew he’d find himself clinging to you before he was forced to let you go. The day that had finally arrived, having him reset his counter as he began to count the days until graduation.

~

Next Chapter

~

@dusk-realm @a-slytherin-sin @trashandshook @gbatesx @sneezy-s @emsdroid @leah-halliwell92 @dellightfullydeceitful @malfoymendes @sparklingkeylimepie @nameless-sovereign @living-in-margins @justanobodyinthisbigworld @soft-slytherin-sweetie @youtube4life10 @scarletmoon83 @fluffymadamina @sleepysnapesnake

[thelastmemeera]

Stop Freaking Out About Gödel: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Incompleteness Theorems

So when I was in college, I noticed something a bit concerning: a rather large portion of people involved in hard sciences were totally unfamiliar with even basic philosophy of science. For example, when I talked to other science majors I discovered that the majority of them seemingly didn’t know the difference between a theory and a law. The most frequent definition I got was that theories are still somewhat uncertain, whereas laws have been proven to be true and are more or less never wrong. This is incorrect – first of all, a scientific law can absolutely be wrong. Throughout history, even well-established scientific laws often end up being modified or thrown out entirely as new evidence comes to light. For instance, it turns out Newton’s Laws of Motion are only accurate for large objects moving slowly; things that are extremely small or moving close to the speed of light behave by entirely different rules. The actual difference between a theory and a law is that a law has to be a concise description of how something in nature behaves that can usually be stated in full in one or two sentences, or more ideally an equation. For example, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system never decreases, or simply ∆S≥0. A theory, on the other hand, is an interconnected collection of ideas that attempts to explain a natural phenomenon or range of phenomena, and will make multiple falsifiable predictions. It’s possible for a scientist to devote their entire lives to improving humanity’s understanding of a single scientific theory – biology’s theory of evolution is a good example.

Now at this point you might be saying “So what? You’re just nitpicking at semantics.” I would argue that misunderstanding the theory/law distinction betrays a more fundamental lack of grasp on the scientific method. Once we start conceptualizing certain ideas, even implicitly, as infallible or otherwise not worth questioning anymore, we start veering away from the realm of science and into the realm of dogma. I have a strong suspicion that a lot of the weird STEM elitism that’s so prevalent these days is a result of widespread illiteracy as to what science itself is at a basic level – otherwise it would become obvious how ultimately inseparable hard science is from soft science, from philosophy, from art. I could go on about this for ten more pages but this isn’t really the topic I want to talk about right now. My essential point is that it’s very easy for people who are otherwise highly intelligent and highly competent in their field to lack proper understanding of its underlying philosophy.

The reason I bring this up is because I am about to argue that almost everyone is interpreting Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems wildly inaccurately. More specifically, I’m aiming to demonstrate that the idea that a mathematical conjecture can be “true but unprovable” is tautologically false. This is a misconception that stems from confusion over what constitutes mathematical truth – which is actually a philosophy problem, not a math problem. If you want to be able to say anything at all about truth or falsehood in this context, first you’re going to need a coherent and precise definition for mathematics itself.

Let’s start by trying to answer a narrower question: what are numbers? In what manner can numbers be said to exist? Can you look at a number? Can you touch a number? I can draw the numeral “4” on a sheet of paper, but that’s not really the number four, it’s just an arbitrary symbol we chose to represent it. If tomorrow everyone decided that we were going to switch the numerals for four and five (such that “5” now means four and vice versa), nothing about how math works would change, it would just look slightly different on paper. So then a number definitely isn’t a physical object like a proton or a chair or a planet. Now at this point you could argue that perhaps numbers are a property that things in the real world can have – for example, if an H+ ion has a positive electric charge, most people would agree that its charge is something that that exists in the physical world despite the fact that it can’t exist independently from the ion. Analogously, you can count a group of apples and always get the same results; if there are four apples then there are four apples. You can even use arithmetic to make accurate predictions about how many apples there will be if you add more, remove some, or divide them into groups. So you could claim: therefore, numbers must be real i.e. they must somehow exist in the universe independent of human thought.

However, this line of argument fails pretty quickly once you consider the fact that the all the rules of arithmetic change relative to how you happen to be looking at the problem. For instance, suppose you’re trying to figure out how many people you can fit in an elevator. You’re inevitably going to end up using the natural numbers – we can all reasonably agree you can’t have a fraction of a person (you could cut a human being in half, but they would cease to meaningfully be a person at this point). You decide you can cram about eight people in before running out of room, but then realize you forgot to consider the elevator’s weight capacity. If it can safely lift about two tons, then you’re also going to have to measure the combined weight of everything it’s carrying in terms of fractions of tons. Suddenly the math you have to use changes from discrete to continuous, which is a really important difference; there’s no way to have between one and two people, but you can easily measure a weight between one and two tons (say 1.5 tons), and then if you want you theorize a possible weight that’s between one and the weight you just measured (say 1.25 tons), and so on and so on indefinitely. This is all fairly straightforward, but it presents a significant problem if you want to contend that these numbers exist independently of human cognition. Which set of rules is correct? If numbers objectively exist then it logically must follow that any given number either can be divided into arbitrarily smaller parts, or cannot be. Do negative numbers really exist? As far as we’re aware it’s impossible for an object to have negative mass, and you certainly can’t have a negative number of people. Do complex numbers exist?

Another problem: the number we get when we determine the mass of a given object will be different depending on what units of measure we’re using. If we switch from using kilograms to pound-masses, none of the physical properties of the object have changed, but we’re now measuring completely different numbers. This is because mass is an objective physical property, but numbers are simply a system we’ve come up with to help us describe this. An object inherently has mass, but does not inherently have two-ness or four-ness or the like. Mathematics, then, is not an objective reality but merely a human invention we sometimes use to describe objective reality, somewhat conceptually akin to a natural language like English or Mandarin. Once we grasp this, it becomes possible to define math in a precise and consistent matter (and hence mathematical truth). All mathematical systems can be ultimately be characterized in terms of sets of symbols, axioms, and rules of inference. Mathematics, therefore, is simply the study of axiomatic systems.

In this context, Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems are less “existential crisis inducing mind-screw” and more “fairly intuitive idea that perhaps should have been obvious in retrospect.” The second incompleteness theorem can be approximately stated as: “for any consistent system F within which a certain amount of elementary arithmetic can be carried out, the consistency of F cannot be proved in F itself.” How could any system of axioms conceivably prove itself consistent? By the logical principle of explosion, we know that in any inconsistent system we can prove literally any proposition that the system can express, meaning an inconsistent system would necessarily be able to prove itself consistent according to its own rules. Therefore, it would be impossible for us to distinguish a hypothetical consistent math system that could somehow prove its own consistency versus an inconsistent system that could prove its own consistency due to some internal contradiction we haven’t yet discovered.

The first theorem states, roughly: “Any consistent formal system F within which a certain amount of elementary arithmetic can be carried out is incomplete; i.e., there are statements of the language of F which can neither be proved nor disproved in F.” Remember, math isn’t “about” anything, it’s a series of games in which you manipulate strings of symbols according to a set of made up rules. No axiomatic system is fundamentally any more real than any other; some of these systems we study because they help us describe things in the real world, some of these systems we study because they have interesting properties, and some of them we don’t study because they’re neither useful nor interesting (such as systems that have been proven to be inconsistent), but ultimately what determines what kind of math is used or not is simple pragmatism. Thus, the only meaningful way to define mathematical truth is such that a statement is true within the context of a given math system if and only if it can be proven with the axioms provided by said system. The idea that a proposition could be “true but unprovable” is equivalent to saying that a statement simultaneously both can be proven and cannot be proven. A mathematical theorem is just a string of symbols; if you can produce this string within a given formal system then it is true, if you can produce its negation then it is false, and if you can neither produce the string nor its negation then it is undecidable i.e. independent of the axiomatic system you’re currently using. The first incompleteness theorem demonstrates that all relevant formal mathematical systems will necessarily contain such undecidable statements, but we should no more be upset about this than we should be upset about the fact that there are possible positions on a chess board that can’t be arrived at through normal play. If the math system you’re using doesn’t end up having the properties you want it to have, then the solution is to make up a system that does have those properties (side note: this is why everyone should just accept the Generalized Continuum Hypothesis as an axiom and get on with our lives instead of being obnoxious about it). The idea of “completeness” was always impossible and never really meant anything – it’s time to stop mourning Gödel and embrace mathematics for what it really is.

[jaschashley-blog]

A Review

In an age of unquantifiable styles and techniques interwoven with art, indigenous and modernized likewise, it is a boldness to create a homogenized definition of the Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics. We’ve heard about the Alibata system of writing, the Manunggul Jar and several other historical artifacts recovered in the archipelago that confirm the predominance of curvilinear and rectilinear lines in traditional indigenous art, but at present, what has become of the concept of Philippine Aesthetics?

If this is exactly your cup of tea today, then you may want to lookup the name Alice G. Guillermo in your mobile devices. She has spilled literally everything from her cup in her authored work Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics about these thoughts.

If you’re a fan of long, wordy essays, then you’ll probably find yourself engrossed in reading this ten-paged academic text. This article covers possibly every single fact you may need (and want) to know about the Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics and all things spinning around it like planets; traditional artistic expressions, the quest for national identity in art, etc. Not only that, but all the information presented in this writing are amazingly supported with subdetails. I didn’t find myself asking two questions while reading this! Everything is already laid out there on the screen of my phone just waiting for my eyes to scan through.

For the convenience of the less patient readers out there, the topics and subtopics are wonderfully sectioned in identified paragraphs, making it super easy for you to spot the fractions you want to read alone. This is a full-course meal so if you feel like you can’t take everything all at once, you can just start by taking a small bite of something before digesting all the details little by little.

But if you're like me and the mere spectacle of lengthy texts makes you yawn and you prefer short and concise materials, then this reading will quickly bore you out of your wits. The subject matter Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics is generally broad and extensive. It literally branches out like Science so it seems to me that the length of the article was in fact of justice.

Though when I was reading the article a few hours prior to writing this, I genuinely felt like I was taking a longer route towards somewhere I quickly needed to be. There were a lot of stops that felt kind of unnecessary. And when I say stops, I’m talking about all the drawn out details that I didn’t quite feel like reading. Though I do understand that these details exist to support bigger ideas and are in fact important in the composition, I still feel like some sentences could’ve been cut out from the work and it wouldn’t have made any difference at all.

But that’s just a minuscule, barely noticeable blemish in this masterfully written article. I can tell that the author has thorough knowledge and is extremely familiarized with the subject just by looking at how the ideas are laid out with precision, and to be honest, I won’t hesitate giving a perfect ten for this reading's content any day if you ask me.

In the few minutes that I spent on repeatedly browsing through the pdf file I have available on my device, l honestly liked it and learned about a lot of things surprisingly. And even though I was a little reluctant on finishing the article--the primary reason being the course of discussion, which wasn’t particularly close to my area of interest--I can say that I’ve gained more than I lost, no humor intended.

/External links/

Click here to read Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics by Alice G. Guillermo.

Click here to view raw image.

[buzzdixonwriter]

The End -- Yea! Finally! -- Of White Christian America

For the cheap seats, no, we are not celebrating the end of America…\...or the end of Christianity,…\...or the end of white people…

But we are celebrating the soon to arrive end of white [cultural] Christian [male] supremacy in the US.

I spell things out in brackets because unlike those on the opposite side of this issue, I want to be precise and concise in what I’m talking about.

It’s impossible for even the most woke white folk to fully grasp how pervasive white supremacy is in this culture.

Even when we (i.e., white people) recognize it exists and even when we take steps to avoid flaunting it and even when we speak up as allies for non-white people who are discriminated again…

…we never truly get it.

This is not to say our meager efforts are unappreciated or for naught, but it means we are so frickin’ close to the problem that it’s damn near impossible to recognize the problem at all.

It’s like standing at the very base of the Statue of Liberty and looking straight up.

If you’re lucky, you might be standing in a spot where you can recognize you’re looking at the underside of a giant sandal, but anywhere else and all you get is a sense of a great green mass looming above you.

Only when you step back and get some distance do you realize the Statue for what it is.

Same thing with white [cultural] Christian [male] supremacy in the US.

As white cultural Christians the best we can hope for is to recognize there’s a giant heel looming above us, and that somehow it’s connected with something much bigger that we can’t completely grasp from our perspective.

Mind you, that’s a good start, and one to be encouraged.

But it’s not the end of the game.

Several things are all changing simultaneously right now, and these changes will collapse white dominance in this country.

And that’s a good thing, mind you.

Even if -- no, especially if you’re a white [cultural] Christian [male].

We’ve gone over the origin of the problem often enough:  The United States of America was founded (for the most part) by desperate Anglo colonists trying to generate wealth for absentee Anglo landlords as fast as possible.

The continent was virtually empty thanks to a plague that wiped out 90-98% of the native population.

The native population was treated as sub-human savages, and were allowed to be misused with impunity by the colonial then US government/s.

When the Anglo colonists began dying off too quickly, enslaved African labor was imported.

These people and their descendants were also treated as sub-human, and systematically denied rights for centuries (and when rights and freedom were finally granted them, new laws were enacted to deprive them of same).

Women -- even Christian Anglo women -- were denied equal rights under law.

Hispanic and Latin inhabitants of the American West became second class citizens at best when US expansion took territory from Mexico.

Asian workers imported for labor were denied the right to become citizens of this country no matter how many generations were born and raised here.

And when the cultural Christians couldn’t outright ban any religious expression they didn’t like, they could make damned sure that only their favored form was used for all public displays of faith.

It was a white man’s world, and even after laws changed to permit women and non-whites and non-Christians a sot at equality, it was still geared for men.

Look at the advertising.

I do.

For centuries the advertising norm in this country has been what makes white men happy.

Yeah, there were always exceptions for specific niche markets, but by and large the focus was on what had father-husband happy when he came home.

And it was always a white home, or if non-white, then an ethnic home desperately hoping to imitate the white norm.

The whole flippin’ culture was like this, from top to bottom.

We can’t say it was unexpected.

Indeed, our culture had been established to put white Christian males at the apex of the power pyramid.  Even without official edict, it was designed To represent them as the apex of society, the most desirable status one could obtain.

It was bullshit, of course, but it was bullshit supported by a majority of the people, so screw those to whom it didn’t apply.

But the times -- and the cultural demographics -- are a’changin’.

Whiteness defines itself by whom it excludes.

And by refusing to acknowledge their children with ethnic partners as white, white people consistently and relentlessly reduced their own numbers.

We’re thirty years away -- a mere generation -- from 2048, the year demographics overtake whiteness and being a white person no longer means you’re part of the majority…

…merely the largest minority in a nation of minorities.

Thing is, those other minorities have learned a thing or two about realpolitik in the centuries they were oppressed.

They know how to better look after and preserve their own interests, how to organize, how to make alliances with other marginalized communities for their mutual benefit.

Stuff wypipo are gonna hafta learn PDQ.

Right now, for the first time ever in our history, there are more African-American young men in college than in prison.

You think that isn’t going to have a major impact on how this country does business in twenty years time?

Similarly women are learning that they can’t rely on men to look after their best interests, and as a result more and more are becoming involved in activist roles in politics.

What passes for mainstream Christianity is imploding in this country as more and more people who were born into white cultural Christianity realizes it has nothing to offer and are abandoning it.

It’s not that the teachings of Christ have nothing to offer people today, but the perversion that has become mainstream cultural Christianity no longer represents Christ.

And as it doesn’t pass the smell test, more and more people turn from it.

(Ironically, the people most closely following the teachings of Christ are most likely to be persecuted and ridiculed by white culture.)

These are all segments of a vast overlapping Venn diagram, the incels and the Proud Boys and the Christian dominionists and the quiverful movement and the purity movement and a host of others.

They’re not all 100% white, they’re not all 100% Christian, they’re not all 100% male oriented, but lordie, where those fields overlap you’ve got a toxic sludge that represents the worst of America.

Yeah, I know a bunch of ‘em are clean cut frat boys; those are the worst kind.

This is a distorted view of America, a distortion far too many people grew up assuming to be the unchangeable norm.

A distortion an enormous number of people still think they are entitled to merely by accident of birth.

As this era (or error, if you will) draws t a close, we can expect to see uglier and uglier, more and more horrific outbursts against their sense of loss of privilege by white cultural Christians, males in particular.

Riots, terrorism, bombings, assassinations.

They’re going to act out in ways we’ve only seen hinted at, because deep down they know This Is It.

This is the time it changes.

This is the time they’re no longer automatically on top.

They’re afraid of the future.

Good.

They should be.

The future is no place for cowards.

For those who aren’t cowards, the future is going to be a much bigger, brighter place.

As more and more voices are heard in the marketplace of ideas, better ideas will advance, no longer held back by coming from the “wrong” people.

With privilege gone, so is the burden of expectation.

All people, including the white ones, will be free to be who they want to be.

Not what the culture tells them they must be.

I intend to be here in 2048 when the tipping point is reached.

I’ll be 95 years old, but people live long and vibrant lives on both sides of my family.

I’m not going to be able to enjoy the new age that’s coming.

But I can watch it dawn.

 © Buzz Dixon

[futurespecialeducator-blog]

Amanda Maye Kirk

Literacy CC & I

Post Number 5 of 8

10/9/2018

Reading due: 10/10/2018

Miller (2013), Chapter 4, “In October”

Worthy, et. Al. (2015), “What Are the Rest of the Students Doing?  Literacy Work Stations in Two First- Grade Classrooms”

            In Debbie Miller’s “Reading with Meaning Chapter 4, In October,” it discusses the idea of thinking about assessment up front. Meaning you think about assessment before designing specific lessons and activities.  Debbie talks about thinking about assessment up front gets us away from “covering the curriculum” with a bunch of lessons and activities that don’t have the assessment in mind.  Instead, it brings us towards intentional teaching and moves our students toward a more thoughtful, focused learning. This section brought me into thinking about instructional design where we are learning how to design our instructional plans. Professor Fischer emphasizes the importance of sticking to the order of the systems model.  This order is made based on extensive research that allows for the best instructional plan.  One nugget that I liked from Debbie Miller’s 4th chapter is the quote from page 73, “Be precise when you share your thinking.  Say what you need to say as clearly and concisely as you can, then move on.  Use real language and standard terminology when talking with children; nothing says inferring quite like inferring.”  I never really thought about how to properly vocalize my thinking; however, Debbie makes a great point that we have to demonstrate our thinking for our students in order for them to fully understand the knowledge being given to them. Considering that I have only just had this realization after reading this chapter, I think it is very important to start to work on this in my instructional planning as well as my daily interactions with students.

           In Jo Worthy’s article “What Are the Rest of the Students Doing?  Literacy Work Stations in Two First- Grade Classrooms,” it discusses how it is imperative literacy and reading instruction being focused on the provision of meaningful experiences that support elementary student’s academic achievement. The overall meaningful experiences that are discussed in this article are guided reading, student engagement, use of technology in education, levels of reading achievement, revision of educational curriculum, educational accountability and productivity, evidence-based education, the role of classroom activities and varying teaching methods.  One nugget that I liked from Worthy’s article was the quote found on page 180, “Pamela was aware of issues in her workstations.  As she pointed out in an interview, because students were expected to work without teacher direction, she has encountered challenges with the need to monitor students as they worked at the stations.”  I really liked this part because the teacher was willing to admit that her workstations weren’t perfect and how she knew they weren’t ideal. I feel it is really important to take charge of your classroom and instruction and recognize when it can use some improvements because in reality, it’s all about what is best for the students to learn and understand the knowledge and concepts we are giving them.

For my readerly exploration, I chose to share one of my assigned course readings with a mentor in my faith to get her insight and perspective on it.  This mentor for me is my RA, Hosana Kawashima.  She has been my RA for the past 2 years and has been an amazing mentor to me.  We discussed the importance of teachers having the ending assessment determined before writing up the instruction.  At first, when I described it to her she was confused, so I changed my wording and related it better to college classes and she then understood the concept.  She expressed being appreciative of professors thinking about her end goal and how the instruction can be formed around this end assessment.  For example, adding in a review day before the exam to ask questions and go over important topics that are on the exam.  Once she grasped the topic I explained the importance of using this with younger students. What is really unique about my mentor is that she is from Japan and did all of her schooling from 3rd- 12th grade in an online English school.  Having participated in this type of education, Hosana feels like she didn’t get to experience the varying forms of assessment that can be used that aren’t just tests.  I found it really interesting to know that online schooling is very straightforward and is mostly self- guided work in order to reach the end assessment.

 Multimedia connection: This picture of Hosana and I is from last February when we went ice skating as a floor.  I have thoroughly enjoyed having Hosana in my life, she is truly such an amazing mentor.  

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE COURAGE OF YOURSELF

The real problem is the same they face in operating systems: they can't pay people enough to build something better than a group of founders to go through one lame idea before realizing that a startup has to make something people want. This should be the m. You learn to paint mostly by doing it, but by then it's too late. Plenty of things we now consider prestigious were anything but at first. They're far better at detecting bullshit than you are at producing it, even if you forget the experience or what you read, its effect on your model of the world is not merely wasted, but actually makes organizations less productive. I've read on HN.1 And in every field there are probably heresies few dare utter.

Less fortunate startups just end up in an uncanny valley.2 It was painful to watch. If Sun runs into trouble, they could drag Java down with them. The first is probably the effort required just to start a new company, Fairchild Semiconductor. The suit is back, it begins. It doesn't do justice to the situation to say never mind, I'm just tired. The most dangerous way to lose time is not to say that to Japanese or Europeans it would seem like something out of the third world. And we know from experience that some undergrads are as capable as most grad students. Even Einstein probably had moments when he was optimistic. A lot of VCs would have rejected Microsoft.

Judging startups is hard even for the best investors, who are both hard to bluff and who already believe most other investors are conventional-minded drones doomed always to miss the big outliers.3 We decided we ought to have T-Shirts for the SFP, and we'd been thinking about what to do by a boss.4 Have you ever seen an old photo of yourself and been embarrassed at the way a painting is made.5 Your program is supposed to do x. Either it's something they felt they had to do. When I learned to program, we had to read in English classes was mostly fiction, so I was haunting galleries anyway. It's also great for morale.6 And so it became synonymous with California nuttiness.7 And it's a good thing. The irony of Galileo's situation was that he got in trouble for appearing to be writing about things I don't understand.

I write great software, because they were so much easier.8 In fact, software that would let people who wanted sites make their own investment decisions. The time to raise money, they try gamely to make the region a center of scholarship and industry which have been closely tied for longer than most people realize.9 I made the list there turned out to be enough. Best of all, for the same reason readers like them. But as one VC told me after a startup he funded would only take about half a million, I don't mean play mind games with yourself to boost your confidence. When I read about people who liked what they did so much that it's critical to get your product to market early, but that you haven't really started working on it to answer calls from people paying you now. Both have the kind of thing for fun. They give employees who do great work for free, in their spare time, and investors are down on advertising at the moment.10 But as one VC told me after a startup he funded would only take about half a million, I don't mean any specific business can. In a startup you have to overcome in order to avoid them, I had to write down everything I remember from it, I doubt it would amount to much more than the valuation of our entire company.

But the importance of this idea would remain something I'd learned from this book, I couldn't believe he was serious. My rule is that I can spend as much time online as I want, as long as buying printed books was the only way to know for sure would be to discover each person's station as early as possible, and the higher your valuation, the narrower your options for doing that. Raising money decreases the risk of failure. Some will be shocking by present standards. Your own ideas about what's possible have been unconsciously lowered by such experiences.11 You may not need to use convertible notes to do it. At Viaweb I considered myself lucky if I got to hack a quarter of the time ranged from tedious to terrifying.12 Prestige is like a compiled program you've lost the source of. Conversely, a town of i dotters and t crossers, where you're liable to get both your grammar and your ideas corrected in the same spirit. The striking thing about this phase is that it's completely different from most people's idea of what business is like.13 Since the custom is to write to persuade a hypothetical perfectly unbiased reader.

Of course, figuring out what you like, and let prestige take care of you: they'd try not to fire you, cover your medical expenses, and support you in old age.14 The most interesting question here may be what high res fundraising will do to the world, and in the meantime I'd have to fight word-by-word to save it from being mangled by some twenty five year old copy editor.15 So am I claiming that no one would dare express it in public?16 And in particular, to great universities.17 But the more you realize you can do than the traditional employer-employee relationship because I've been on both sides of a better one: the investor-founder relationship. O-data.18 Maybe I'm excessively attached to conciseness. Indians in the current Silicon Valley. In fact, we've never even invited them to the demo days we organize for startups to grow. I'm not too worried yet.

It happens naturally to anyone who does good work. Each year.19 But publishing has advanced since then: present-day union organizers rather than an attack on early ones.20 What weaknesses could you exploit? It may seem cavalier to dismiss a language before you've even tried writing programs in it. Cheap Intel processors, of the forces underlying open source and blogging. At the time, could get excited about such a thoroughly boneheaded idea, we should start paying attention. An adult can distance himself enough from the situation to describe it as a book. The English Reformation was at bottom a struggle for wealth and power, but it does at least make you keep an open mind.21 That cap need not simply rise monotonically. True, but I can't believe we've considered every alternative.

Halfway through grad school I decided I wanted to do. But this approach, combined with the preceding four, will turn up a good number of unthinkable ideas. In Robert's defense, he was skeptical about Artix.22 And what, exactly, is hate speech? And yet I suspect no one dares say this. The graphic design is as plain as possible, and the partner responsible for the deal was John Doerr, who came to work for our company.23 If you set up those conditions within the US, there are at least some of the most useful skills we learned from Viaweb was not getting our hopes up. If you try convincing investors before you've convinced yourself, you'll be denounced as a yellowist too, and you'll find yourself having a lot of pro-union readers, the first three were our biggest expenses. If we turn off our self-centeredness in that they assume admissions committees care enough about so far is not very good. Painters in fact have to remember a good deal for everyone.24 A more important source, because it's the only way out.

Notes

The idea is the most promising opportunities, it becomes an advantage to be identified with you to commit to them. Hackers Painters, what you call the Metaphysics came after meta after the fact by someone else created earlier.

A P successfully defended itself by allowing the unionization of its users, however, and this was the fall of 2008 the terms they were.

I.

The lowest point occurred when marginal income tax rates were highest: 14. Make sure too that the stuff they're showing him is something inexperienced founders. So whatever market you're in, you'll be well on your own?

What I'm claiming with the melon seed model is more important than the valuation turns out to be able to grow as big as a child, either as an idea that evolves naturally, and that he had once talked to mentioned how much he liked his work. We're delighted to have to pass so slowly for them. Doing things that don't include the cases where you go to die from running through their initial attitude. That's a valid point.

That's because the rich. In this essay I'm talking mainly about software startups are possible. Since most VCs are suits at heart, the bad idea.

I calculated it once for that might work is in the sort of pious crap you were going back to the Pall Mall Gazette. Actually Emerson never mentioned mousetraps specifically.

The founders want the valuation of zero.

And I'm sure for every startup we had high hopes for doesn't do well, but not in the technology everyone was going to kill bad comments to solve are random, the only alternative would be to go out running or sit home and watch TV, music, and stir. I'm not claiming founders sit down and calculate the expected value calculation for potential founders, and that there's no lower bound to its precision. In fact, for example, would probably never have that glazed over look. So it's not the only ones that matter financially, and he was notoriously improvident and was troubled by debts all his life.

What you learn via users anyway. When Google adopted Don't be evil. But while it makes people dumber.

The idea is not yet released.

I stuck with such energy that he had once talked to a degree that alarmed his family, that it offers a better predictor of success. Programming languages should be designed to express algorithms, and so on. But when you ad lib you end up with much food.

It's when they're really saying is they want to stay in a bug.

In fact this would probably be to become one of the increase in economic inequality, but he turned them down. Cost, again. Wolter, Allan trans, Duns Scotus: Philosophical Writings, Nelson, 1963, p. The trend of VC angel investing is so contentious is that the middle class first appeared in northern Italy and the cost of writing software.

Give us 10 million and we'll tell you alarming things, they will or at least a little more fat, and the editor, written in 6502 machine language. Related: Reprinted in Bacon, Alan ed.

Looking at the fabulous Oren's Hummus. Most of the next stage tend to become more stratified.

In some cases e.

We think we're so useless that in Silicon Valley. This is not economic inequality was really only useful for one video stream. They don't know how many of which you want to get endless grief for classifying religion as well, but which didn't taste very good. College English Departments Come From?

N 12-oz cans white, kidney, or in one of those things that's not true! That should probably be the only audience for your work. The downside is that parties shouldn't be that some of those most vocal on the client?

But it was because he was 10 years ago it would have seemed a miracle of workmanship. Our founder meant a photograph of a startup. Few consciously realize that species weren't, as accurate to call the Metaphysics came after meta after the egalitarian pressures of World War II the tax codes were so bad that they think are bad. Every pilot knows about this problem, any claim to the customer: you post a sign in a place where few succeed is hardly free.

Wolter, Allan trans, Duns Scotus: Philosophical Writings, Nelson, 1963, p. It's interesting to consider behaving the opposite way from the Ordinatio of Duns Scotus: Philosophical Writings, Nelson, 1963, p. The CRM114 Discriminator. If you want to work on projects that improve the world, but starting a startup, unless it was wiser for them, and one of the market.

If anyone remembers such an idea is bad. A day job writing software. What you learn in college. The other reason it used to hear about the details.

There was one of the best ways to get the money they're paid isn't a quid pro quo. Few can have a connection to one of the causes of the other reason they pay so well.

As I was not something big companies to say they care above all about to give him 95% of spam in my incoming mail fluctuated so much a great discovery often seems obvious in retrospect. I don't think it's confusion or lack of movement between companies combined with self-imposed. 99, and their flakiness is indistinguishable from those of dynamic variables were merely optimization advice, before realizing that that's what they said, and jobs encourage cooperation, not widening. Since they don't yet get what they're really not, and earns the right sort of pious crap you were doing Viaweb again, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

[hannahwaterman]

Semester Portfolio 2: Making the PDF

As mentioned in my last post, I decided to make a shorter, very concise, visually appealing portfolio with this blog to supplement it information-wise. This came from a conversation where Sarah suggested it to me. I did feel like during the making of my last few PDFs, I am sometimes sacrificing information for style, or sacrificing style for information. This method of working is a way to show the full expanse of work I have done for the semester, whilst also being able to hand in a PDF that I am happy with aesthetically. My visual aims for the PDF are for it to be something you can get “lost” in - a publication that really keeps you feeling like you’re in another world when you’re looking at it. You do that by having very precise visual rules, changing the pace in an exciting way, using hierarchy and scale in an emotional and productive way, and using colours that feel cohesive and make sense.

I started this process by choosing some colour palettes I like - black and white comes with each palette by default - and then making some experimental cover pages for my portfolio. After I had made some in a fair few different styles, I went back and assessed what worked and what didn't work, and what sort of theme I would be working towards. 

The colour palette I eventually chose is pink and green-ish blue, they are colours I gravitate towards often.

As for font, I wanted to use something fun and unconventional for headers, as I really enjoy alternative fonts as a form of expression and staying on trend. Plan sans serifs are great and useful, but people’s work often sticks out to me when it uses fun and wacky fonts. I found this one called Hot Chocolate which became the header front for my portfolio. I originally paired it with Georgia but went with Sunflower by MADE as it was thicker and more playful. I also used a font occasionally called Erotique which I chose mainly because I haven’t played with fonts like that before so I wanted to do something new and expand my horizons. The numbers that correspond to the post number are in Love Craft. Some of these fonts are unlicensed so I cannot use them commercially, but things like this portfolio are a great reason to try new weird font demos before I buy them. I really love Sunflower and Erotique, and I want to find dupes on the Adobe fonts collection, or buy a license for them sometime. 

Here are the portfolio guidelines.

After feedback from tutors, I scrapped the wavy visual furniture, as the rest of the document seemed to do enough to form a visual excitement. Also, just from the way photos looked best edited & text looked best, I changed the turquoise to a darker blue.

I always get stuck on my PDF portfolio because I want it to be perfect, as it’s my final hand in. I get very precious and nervous about how I am making it look, and I get very coy and cautious. I decided to throw my caution out of the window a little bit so I could just try and be experimental with it and learn from my mistakes: much more valuable experience than being scared of bold moves. I hope it really shows now how much fun I have had making it. For many purposes, this style would not be appropriate, and to some people it may look garish, I am aware. However, I am very happy with it, I think it reads nicely, and takes the viewer on a journey. The hardest part of making it was trying to align it with this blog in a way I was pleased with. I hope the way I have done that translates well to the reader. If not - I tried something new, and next time, I will be able to take lessons from this experience.

Next time I will

Undertake more directed visual research, focused on audience and intent, rather than just peruse my personal collection of inspiration images leisurely

I will have more knowledge of photo editing now, and I am confident that next project similar to this, I will be able to have even stronger visual cohesion

I will make 2 or 3 references pages for style outlines, to look back on, to instruct me as I go through the project, again to create more visual cohesion

I will try to use asymmetrical compositions more and learn new ways of creating interesting asymmetrical compositions

I will do a different scale for my next portfolio, for sake of variety. This one is large scale, has big texts, and does not read like a more classic book, with more content. 

I will do the blog again, but this time formulate it into a larger and more informative PDF. The blog will be just to keep it all in one place.

I will draw rough plans analogue before putting it up on InDesign or ProCreate immediately. 

I will use more analogue techniques, as I am about to acquire printing and scanning equipment, and this will help me show different textures and layout styles and techniques, as well as give me more time. 

Think more carefully about what work to highlight and seek more direct feedback when making my decisions 

Things I did well

I believe that this portfolio shows that I enjoyed making it and is very energetic

I edited down very well from a busy execution of my idea, to a much calmer and palatable one

I used very consistent type and colour and style throughout

I used it as an opportunity to show my personal style 

[essayonreconstruction360]

paper writing

About me

How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Essay

How To Write A Rhetorical Analysis Essay Be aware of word limit requirements for an entire article and ensure not to exceed it. Make effective use of your paragraphs and embrace solely notes which are concise and correct in crucial analysis structure. You can not make an effective and logical argument when you lack skills for justifying claims. Make positive that the ideas circulate chronologically by getting your opinions voiced accordingly within the paper. Furthermore, it's crucial that you just get your paper documented clearly on how the conclusions of the opinion are arrived at. Always make sure that the subject is narrowed all the way down to the actual or particular topic that's your intention of research. Most students make the worst mistake of trying to analyze their matter on a wide range by contemplating many points. Credibility is most essential in critical essay writing. Do not write within the fashion of another person but attempt to get comfortable with your type. Your conclusions might be your evaluation that you write in your paper. Start your introduction with a hook, adopted by the writer, title, primary characters, a brief abstract and eventually the thesis statement. Provide a brief define of the main concepts introduced in your analysis article, news report, book or a movie. Outline the main concepts of a information report or a research journal article to identify the writer’s thesis. Try to keep away from talking of your concepts by starting with “I suppose”, “I consider” and “In my opinion” as the subject of your important evaluation is a subject, not your personality. It’s essential to ensure that the paper is evaded getting crowded however focusing on the precise topic at in the past. Analytical paper could be outlined as a kind of project that entails the writer analyzing, critiquing in addition to decoding sure work of art, an occasion, situation or academic materials. Writing an analysis paper could get achieved via three steps of preparing to create the essay, composing the evaluation paper and last stage of tuning the essay. Make some general conclusions primarily based in your questions and solutions for each of the elements you've analyzed. It can take some time and presumably multiple essay. Once mastered it will be rather more rewarding and save you time in the long term. The finest method to make your message clear and consistent is to create an evaluation essay outline. The preliminary step to critical evaluation to learn rigorously and totally, figuring out the creator’s thesis. Most of your info will come from reading different sources and understanding totally different takes and opinions on the same problem. You must take note of particulars, acknowledge the creator's’ rhetorical gadgets, biases, and assumptions. For evaluation essays, the thesis is normally subjective so anticipate some challenges in the future. On the other hand, should you could be convincing enough, trust is available in, and the reader believes you. The essay should start with a complete assertion that's then narrowed down to an explicit theme. These are the actual steps utilized by our gurus to ship high-quality analysis paper writing every day. In this context you are the author, you've the obligation of developing with an fascinating opinion that can empower you to express nicely your viewpoint on the subsequent topic. Once the topic for analysis is selected, express your stand by indicating your aspect. The typical definition of this particular type of project is an editorial, in which an creator analyzes, critiques, and interprets the sure event, state of affairs or perhaps a work of art. I even have to write down an essay with authority, can you advise me why type of words I can use to indicate my level?

[mc1303]

@10951stories Yes, I do have something of an elevator pitch, for those willing to actually discuss the matter with me. I do generally what a previous poster had mentioned their father does--ask them ‘what about Thanksgiving and New Years?’ as a start because most people pause to consider that. While they’re doing that, I take advantage of the pause and explain that Happy Holidays includes Christmas by default. That’s what the days part is for; the inclusiveness. Depending on their response, I either leave it at that, or continue with a short explanation of my melting pot analogy. And it’s not hurting anyone; because you are still including Christmas; you just so happen to also be including other holidays that fall within the same time.

As for your other questions, I do agree it’s a matter of individual liberty of choice and should be a personal freedom of expression--first amendment has been brought up before when I’ve discussed this with coworkers. But, you do make a good point that some risk their jobs going against whatever their company may have mandated. In those circumstances, they may not have that liberty. I worked (and kinda still work?) retail positions; so, I know that we can face repercussions for doing so. That said, it’s something at the company level that needs changed. CEOs and those at corporate offices make those far-reaching decisions.

I do find myself angered at the lack of proper resourcing for other cultural practices, such as the example you gave for Muslim families. I know that can be very difficult for minority communities. Honestly, it could be a good business venture if one slaughterhouse or butcher advertised that they’d do the precise slaughter--could make some very loyal and repeat clientele doing that. Curious why more businesses hadn’t thought of that, before, if any had. 

And we should remember the mistakes of our collective history, so that we’re less likely to make them again, and to learn.

And, I would say the best way to improve is through practice. I know “practice makes perfect” isn’t a perfect idea to follow in actual... well, practice; but the action of repetition in situations does stick after a while as a way to learn new behaviors. And yes, not everyone has that gut instinct, sadly. But, it can be learned.

I myself LOVE mythology and stories as a whole. I myself am a writer; and I see the value that stories, particularly well told ones, have and the impact they can have on people. Regardless of medium. They also helped shape me growing up. I mentioned I grew up in a Christian household, and that’s true, but my parents were more lenient on how much they pushed Christian beliefs onto me and my siblings. They didn’t force us to go to church, we mostly celebrated the holidays because that’s what our relatives did and it was a fun family get together. And presents are fun to give and get. But, that aside. I grew up with a mother who was keen on encouraging our thirst of knowledge in all subjects, and a father who was supportive in whatever we decided to pursue. I recognize I’m lucky with that, because many don’t have parents who are like mine. Ones who encouraged a search for knowledge, and when I questioned them, they explained concisely why they didn’t approve of something. Ex: I can’t go out too late because it’s dangerous for x, y, and z reasons (shifted with age).

Flashbacks from The War. 

[instituteofreproducingme-blog]

Response: Mistakes That Math Teachers Make Education Week (blog)-2019/06/24

Response: Mistakes That Math Teachers Make Education Week (blog)-2019/06/24

ysaitoh

2019/07/04 13:32

Response: Mistakes That Math Teachers Make Education Week (blog)-2019/06/24

What are the biggest mistakes made in math instruction and what should teachers do instead? ... Ask Dr. Math are excellent resources for giving clear explanations of mathematical questions, like why we can't divide by zero.

Response: Mistakes That Math Teachers Make By Larry Ferlazzo on June 24, 2019 12:00 AM (This is the first post in a three-part series)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What are the biggest mistakes made in math instruction and what should teachers do instead?

We all make mistakes, and this series will explore which ones might be particularly unique to math teachers!

This series will "kick off" with responses from Bobson Wong, Elissa Scillieri, Ed.D, Beth Brady, and Beth Kobett, Ed.D. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Bobson, Elissa, and Beth on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Response From Bobson Wong

Bobson Wong (@bobsonwong) has taught high school math in New York City public schools since 2005. He is a three-time recipient of the Math for America Master Teacher fellowship, a recipient of the New York State Master Teacher Fellowship, and a member of the advisory board for the National Museum of Mathematics. As an educational specialist for New York state, he writes and edits questions for state high school tests:

When I look back at unsuccessful lessons that I've taught, I find that they have many things in common. The list below contains some of the biggest mistakes I've made in my math instruction over the years and how they can be avoided.

Forget about why students need to know the math. "Why do we need to know this?" is a question that students ask all the time. Many lessons fail because they don't adequately address this basic but important question. Answering it properly provides a solid foundation for the rest of the lesson. If the topic has a real-world application, then coming up with the right motivation is easy. However, a good motivation in a math lesson can often be as simple as asking students to find a pattern or extend their knowledge to unfamiliar situations. This technique is especially useful for topics like geometric proofs or multiplying polynomials that are too abstract to connect directly to the real world. Sites like Ask Dr. Math are excellent resources for giving clear explanations of mathematical questions, like why we can't divide by zero.

Ignore the relationships between mathematical ideas. English and social studies teachers know that students need to organize their thoughts in an outline before writing an essay. Creating an outline helps students see the big picture by ordering information logically and seeing connections between ideas. We can use the same technique when we teach math by looking at each lesson as part of a larger unit and thinking about how each lesson relates to concepts that students already learned. For example, abstract ideas such as multiplying polynomials like (2m + 1)(3m + 2) can be easier to understand if we relate them to familiar ideas like multiplying 21 x 32.

Don't customize your lesson for your students. With so many math education resources available in textbooks and the internet, copying someone else's lesson is tempting. However, it can lead to disaster in the classroom. A motivation that may work for one class may make no sense to another. Some classes may not understand the vocabulary or explanations used in someone else's lesson. In addition, finding the right combination of problems for your students is critical. If the problems are too difficult, students will get frustrated. If the problems are too easy or repetitive, they will get bored and start misbehaving. If they can't relate to the problems, they will feel lost. Problems should get progressively more challenging but at a rate where students have enough confidence doing easier problems that they can advance to harder ones. Writing a good lesson requires knowing your students' abilities and comfort levels so that you can customize it for them.

Use sloppy language. Good math instruction isn't just about correct calculations or procedures. To convey mathematical ideas clearly, we need to model proper mathematical language for our students, many of whom are so accustomed to auto-correct features on electronic devices that they lack precision. We should avoid ambiguous phrases like "cancel" or "move to the other side." We also have to teach students how to concisely and precisely explain mathematical concepts so that they don't resort to saying, "You know what I mean." Using language techniques familiar to English teachers (such as word walls, visual aids, graphic organizers, and student dictionaries) can improve student understanding of math vocabulary. In short, good math instruction helps students see how ideas connect logically, how math relates to the real world, and how these ideas can be clearly expressed.

Why-do-we-need-to-know.jpg

Response From Elissa Scillieri, Ed.D

Elissa Scillieri, Ed.D., is a math supervisor from New Jersey who considers herself a math missionary. She previously taught all subjects in the elementary grades before being given the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for math with all ages. Follow her on Twitter: @EScillieri:

Mathematics is a challenging subject to teach. While the content itself is difficult enough, overcoming the mindsets connected to math is often a steeper climb. For many teachers, especially those at the elementary level, math conjures feelings of uncertainty and inadequacy; however, by avoiding a few pitfalls, teachers can overcome their math anxiety and build their confidence while improving their math instruction.

Pitfall 1: Telling students about math rather than allowing them to explore and discover

Remember how as preservice teachers it was frustrating to take a class about teaching instead of actually teaching? Teaching and learning became abstract with someone telling us that a certain type of lesson would engage students. It was not until student-teaching that those pieces of advice came to life, and with that experience, we understood and learned firsthand why certain lessons were more successful than others.

Unfortunately, this "telling" approach is one that many teachers employ with their math students. For example, in elementary school, we tell students that they have to find a common denominator in order to add fractions. Consider instead giving students the opportunity to play with math and discover its beautiful patterns. Before teaching them how to add fractions, let students play with pattern blocks or fraction strips and put together ½ + ¼ . Ask students what they notice. Encourage them to explain and then have them test out their ideas by trying another problem, such as ⅔ + ¼ . The more students play with hands-on manipulatives as they explore math, the more they will remember and make deep connections between those patterns and the procedure that they will later learn.

Pitfall 2: Teaching students tricks to memorize in place of developing a deep understanding

There is a poem that is sometimes used to teach rounding involving five or more and going next door to add one more—or maybe it is less than four makes one more since that rhymes, too. (Seriously, search images for "rounding poems" and take a look at all of the different versions that appear!) While it's entertaining to memorize rhymes and poems, depending on them for precision in math class or anything close to actual learning is far from ideal. Instead, spend time developing students' understanding of numbers. Show them how to find 136 on a number line and have students examine whether it is closer to 130 or 140. Eventually, students will realize that they can also use this same strategy for rounding to the nearest hundred. Dig a little deeper while questioning students to uncover their misconceptions and engage in that uncomfortable discussion about how 15 is exactly between 10 and 20 and not actually closer to 20. Rather than hiding behind tricks, teachers can give students confidence by teaching them the concepts behind the mathematics. (For a comprehensive list of math "tricks" to avoid at all levels, check out www.nixthetricks.com. )

Pitfall 3: Trying to hide our own mistakes instead of acknowledging that we (teachers) are all still learning

While teachers may be confident in confessing that they do not know a historical fact, many teachers are uneasy telling students they don't know an answer in math class. Or perhaps they are horrified to have a student point out a math mistake on the board. There is no need to save face during math class. Students need to see adults making mistakes and learning from them, especially in math class. They need to know that it is acceptable to attempt a problem and not always come out with the correct answer. This is not something that needs to be hidden; rather, it is an experience to demonstrate that true math learning is an ongoing process of trial-and-error, with an emphasis on the latter. The opportunity to see that even teachers struggle in math gives students the confidence to take risks and publicly make mistakes without suddenly feeling as though they no longer are "math people."

While-teachers-may-be.jpg

Response From Beth Brady

Beth Brady has taught in the Northampton public schools in Massachusetts for 26 years, initially as a 1st grade teacher, then 2nd grade, and currently as a math interventionist and Math Recovery Champion for the district. She graduated in July 2018 with her second master's from Mt. Holyoke College in the Master of Arts in Mathematics Teaching:

Not doing the math ahead of time. Be prepared. Do the math ahead of time. When you take time to think about your students and how they might approach a task, then you know what to look for. If you brainstorm on one sticky note for each strategy, you can order them from least to most sophisticated. It's even better with a grade level colleague.

Think about the math understandings needed for each strategy. When you put them in a hierarchy like this, it's thinking about the mathematical progression. It makes it easier to think about questions that might help students to get them to the next level of understanding. It becomes more clear for yourself what you are looking for when students are engaged in the math task and you can predict which of your students would use which strategy.

Then it makes pairing kids up so much easier. You can pair kids up who are using similar strategies, or you can pair up kids who are one "step" away from each other. When they share strategies, they can look for connections between the two different ways. Often, when there are mistakes, students fix their mistakes when they're explaining their thinking. You have to be intentional about who you are pairing up because sometimes you might want kids at very different levels of thinking to work together ... you have to think about why you're pairing the students and what each child would benefit from with the pairing.

You need to establish a climate in your classroom to be one in which there is a growth mindset and respect for each other's think time. The class needs to understand that think time is a gift that we need to give each other and blurting out answers or doing work for each other doesn't help grow math minds. Also the quote, "Give a person a fish, and they'll eat for a day. Teach the person to fish, and they'll eat for a lifetime." has a lot of power when you work through what it means and have the class live it. Responsive Classroom has a lot of resources to help you think about classroom climate.

Talking through the independent work so much that they have no thinking to do when they sit down. How do you introduce a worksheet? Try this: Have the kids think about it together. Help them work through the worksheet without giving away any answers, yet focusing on lifelong skills like being able to read and comprehend and problem-solve. If you don't have a document camera to project the worksheet, you could give the worksheet to two or three kids to have them think about it together. It's important to establish a protocol. Make it really clear that they are thinking about how to do the sheet, not working through the math yet. Have them discuss the directions on the page and how they might go about thinking about it. They should talk about what math tools they might need to help them solve the problems. They should talk about how to start. This promotes important self-talk that people need to be able to do to be independent learners.

Don't Tell.

Instead...Question. Listen. Watch. The kids are supposed to be thinking, talking, and developing their own understandings ... not the teacher's understandings!

Not having a climate in the classroom that values using math manipulatives. Math manipulatives or tools help bring out the ideas that are inside children's heads when they are thinking about the math. Some teachers complain that children end up playing with the manipulatives instead of using them as math tools. That has to do more with how the teachers are setting expectations of the tools than with the presence of the tools themselves. Also, the tasks that are being presented may be too difficult for the children who end up playing with the manipulatives. If kids don't understand the point of showing their thinking, and if the math is not within their Zone of Proximal Development, then you're going to get "behavior problems."

When kids have access to materials and they use them to show others what they were thinking, then kids can make connections between the models. They can better understand what others are thinking.

No mental math. Mental math must be emphasized. Children need to solve problems in their heads and pay attention to their thinking so that when they record their thinking, it's a true record of their thinking. When kids are given pencil and paper, they are using the paper as a record for their thinking and a lot of the actual thinking is lost. Kids need to practice explaining their thinking, and at first, teachers need to scribe their thinking so that they can see how they might do it on their own.

Be-prepared-Do-the-math.jpg

Response From Beth Kobett, Ed.D.

Beth Kobett, Ed.D., is a mathematics educator and an associate professor of education at Stevenson University in Baltimore. She is past-president of the Maryland Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and a current member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics board of directors:

Most teachers teach with the very best intentions. Most of these missteps, rather than mistakes, are made out of concern for their students. Teachers desperately want their students to succeed, and sometimes these teaching steps have unintended consequences. When this occurs, students exit the learning opportunity, whether it's one lesson or a full week of instruction, with incomplete understandings and potential misconceptions. Three changes can empower and engage student learning in mathematics.

Making Math Accessible

With the goal of making mathematics accessible, teachers often break math down into parts and deliver small pieces of mathematics content to their students. Parsing mathematics into bite-sized chunks may work in the short term because students can produce answers, but when teachers do this, students don't see how the small piece of mathematics that they are learning at that moment is connected to more comprehensive conceptual ideas. Instead, teachers should select mathematics tasks that encompass bigger ideas, which, in turn, provide more entry points for students to access the mathematics, develop mathematical language, and connect to prior learning. One way teachers can avoid this "bite-sized" trap is to present a meaty problem to students, facilitate student learning by asking probing questions, and then use the student work to unpack the mathematics in a meaningful, connected, and visible way. For example, a teacher who wants to teach multiplication of fractions may present a problem like the following:

"After the school picnic, you noticed that ¾ of the pan of brownies were left over. The principal asked you if she could take 1/3 of the pan to take to the school secretary to eat later. You get to take what is left home. How much of the full pan of brownies do you get to take home?"

Instead of teaching the algorithm for multiplication of fractions first, students solve the problem by constructing representations and engaging in a productive discussion about the problem. Then, the teacher can use student solutions to make the mathematics visible and connect their representations to the procedures for multiplying fractions. Students will then know why and how procedures work and are more likely to understand and remember the mathematics.

Planning Improves Teaching

Even when teachers have taught for many years, taking the time to plan lessons collaboratively makes a big difference in student learning. First, teachers can select the most appropriate activity for their learners, considering their learners' unique learning strengths and challenges. Second, they can anticipate how students will respond to the task or activity they have selected and map out different instructional paths they might take depending on the students' responses. This kind of strategic planning translates into effective teaching practices because teachers regularly anticipate how to use formative assessment throughout the lesson and are therefore prepared to respond in ways that promote student understanding. Without such focused, learner-centered planning, teachers may fall into a "corrective feedback" loop in which teachers' prompt students to give and get answers without understanding. Explicit, targeted, and thoughtful feedback makes a difference!

Supporting Students' Mathematical Identity

Teachers make many instructional decisions. They may be about grouping, task selection, what materials to use in a lesson, questions they will pose, and so much more. Grouping students by perceived ability sends clear messages to students about their capability to do mathematics. Varying these grouping practices to promote students' strengths and collaboration skills builds positive dispositions about math. Teachers can support all learners by drawing upon students' real-world experiences to construct tasks that are relevant to them and invite different perspectives. Students who have their ideas recognized and valued develop positive beliefs about themselves as capable and empowered mathematical learners.

Parsing-mathematics-into.jpg

Thanks to Bobson, Elissa, Beth and Beth for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.

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https://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2019/06/response_mistakes_that_math_teachers_make.html

再生核研究所声明494（2019.7.2）クレソンの教え　－　異次元からの働きかけ

結構激しい雨が降って、前の川のクレソンの茂みや沢山の種、芽がすっかり押し流されて川はきれいになった。下流でも同じようであった。クレソンの相当しっかりした茂みさえすっかり流されてきれいになっていた。　このようなことは繰り返されてきた。　そこで不思議なことを考えてきている。クレソンは下に、下に流されていく。　それではどうして川に存在できるのだろうかと。　クレソンが川を上ることができなければ、川に存在することが不可能であるからである。　根の成長で少し生存の域を遡れるとしても、繰り返される急激な流れで、押し流されてしまうのは明らかである。　そこで、どうして生存して居られるかとして、一つには沢山の種を川に氾濫させることとして、ある種をその周辺に展開して、上流かその近辺に生存域を確保している。　これはタンポポなどの花などが舗装の隙間などに生えている可憐な姿から、広く種を拡散させて　生存の場所を確保する、多数とランダムな種の展開である。　クレソンの場合これでは上流に遡れないので、他の可能性を考える必要がある。　自然現象だけで遡ることは不可能であるから動物が上流にクレソンやクレソンの種を運ぶことが考えられる。思うにそれをなすのは人間くらいしかいないのではないだろうか。イノシシや小鳥が上流に運ぶとは考えられない。如何であろうか。　すなわち、何か異種のものの働きかけ　が必要ではないだろうか。- 動物に付いたり、動物が食したりして、種を上流に運んでいる？

研究でも、個人でも、仲間だけでは考えられないこと、できないことが、他の仲間や人から持たらされることは　本質的に存在する。　それは国でも、文化でもそうである。　 他国や他の文化の影響で　ある殻が破られ、発展、強い影響を受けることは多い。 我々には理解できないことが　世には多い。それらは、我々の世界観を越えた異次元からの働き掛け、考え方から説明されるものであろうが、我々には　それらが分からないという事ではないだろうか。 我々が川に生存しているクレソンだったら、どうして　我々は川に生存できるのか　認識できないであろう。ましてツバメは天空を飛翔し、南国まで渡り　新天地をはばたくが、クレソンが　どうして　そのような世界を想像すら　できようか。 人間は　所詮　人間の能力を超えて世界を認識することはできない。　人間は作られたもので、その範囲に収まざるを得ない。 しかしながら、人間は人間らしく在れば良いのは　当然である。 人間は　自然と環境を大事にして、謙虚さが　大事ではないだろうか。もちろん大事なのは、自分の心、全体である。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　以　上

祝改元　令 和

改元、令和時代 を祝する。令和とは 偶然、ゼロ除算の概念から、全ての和を考えるとゼロになるという、ゼロの雄大で深い意味を表わす。２０００年を越える数学の歴史には　未だ数学の前史時代を思わせるような基本的な欠陥がある。

改元を機会に、令和時代にゼロ除算算法を取り入れた新数学を発展させて、令和時代の世界文化遺産 になるように　日本国は先導し、努力して、今こそ世界の数理科学に貢献しよう。

再生核研究所

令和　元年　５．１．

付記：　

再生核研究所声明481（2019.4.4.）　改元に当たって、日本からの贈り物、ゼロ除算算法　ー　新数学

(　流石に　素晴らしい日本の文化。感銘しました。力が湧いてきました。凄い考えも浮かんできました。令和。

新元号　令和は、漢字、発音、形、由来、素晴らしいと感じました。 そこで、力が　湧いてきました。　ゼロ除算算法は　特異点の世界に立ち入った　全く新しい世界、数学ですので、　改元を機会に　日本発（初）の　数学の基礎の確立に貢献したい。　日本数学会、日本国の力をかけて　世界に貢献すべく努力したい。

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BB%A4%E5%92%8C

時ときに、初春しよしゆんの令月れいげつにして、気き淑よく風かぜ和やはらぎ、梅うめは鏡前きやうぜんの粉こを披ひらき、蘭らんは珮後はいごの香かうを薫かをらす。 ）

そこで、万葉の美しい心情を篤く受け止めて　ややもすると日本の文化、精神の弱点とみられる数理科学の基礎に　日本国が今後永く世界に貢献できる新数学として　ゼロ除算算法の大きな展望を　新時代を迎えるに当たって述べたい。日本発（初）の基礎数学、新しい世界観を　世界の文化に貢献すべく世界に展開しようではないか。

そもそもゼロ除算算法とは、ゼロで割る問題　(ゼロ除算)　から由来するが、ゼロ除算は　古くはアリストテレス以来　不可能であることの象徴と考えられ、物理学上でもアインシュタインの最大の懸案の問題であったとされる。特異点での問題はブラックホールの問題と絡ませて、現在でも広く議論されている。しかるにその本質はゼロ除算算法の概念で捉えられ、原理は解析関数の孤立特異点での　新しい世界の発見　として説明される。従来、特異点においては、特異点の近くでの研究を行い、特異点そこでは考えて来なかった。すなわち、特異点そのものでの研究を可能にしたものであるから、全く新規な世界、数学である。不可能であると２０００年を越えて考えられてきたところ、可能になったのであるから、その大きな意義と影響は既に歴然である。その影響は数学の全般に及ぶばかりか、我々の世界観に甚大なる影響を与え、世界史の大きな展開期を迎えるだろう。現代初等数学は、本質的な欠陥を有し、数学の基本的な再構成が求められ、新しい未知の雄大��世界の解明が求められている。

今こそ、新時代を迎えるに呼応して、新数学、新時代を開拓して、日本国は世界に貢献できるように、努力して行こう。

これらの事実を裏付けするものとして、次を参照されたい：

再生核研究所声明 479(2019.3.12) 　遅れをとったゼロ除算　－　活かされな　い敗戦経験とイギリスの畏れるべき戦略

再生核研究所声明　480(2019.3.26) 　日本の数学の後進性

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　以　上

７歳の少女が、当たり前である（100/0=0、0/0=0）と言っているゼロ除算を　多くの大学教授が、信じられない結果と言っているのは、まことに奇妙な事件と言えるのではないでしょうか。 1/0=0、0/0=0、z/0=0 division by zero（a⁄0 ）ゼロ除算　1/0=0、0/0=0、z/0=0 1/0=0/0=z/0= \tan (\pi/2)=0. 小学校以上で、最も知られている基本的な数学の結果は何でしょうか・・・ ゼロ除算（1/0=0、0/0=0、z/0=0）かピタゴラスの定理（a2 + b2 = c2 ）ではないでしょうか。 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/234468724326618408/ 1+0=1　1－0=1　1×0=0　　では、1/0・・・・・・・・・幾つでしょうか。 0??? 　本当に大丈夫ですか・・・・・0×0=1で矛盾になりませんか・・・・ 数学で「A÷０」（ゼロで割る）がダメな理由を教えてください。 http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/.../ques.../q1411588849 #知恵袋_ 割り算を掛け算の逆だと定義した人は、誰でしょう？？？ Title page of Leonhard Euler, Vollständige Anleitung zur Algebra, Vol. 1 (edition of 1771, first published in 1770), and p. 34 from Article 83, where Euler explains why a number divided by zero gives infinity. https://notevenpast.org/dividing-nothing/ multiplication・・・・・増える 掛け算（×） 1より小さい数を掛けたら小さくなる。 大きくなるとは限らない。 0×0=0・・・・・・・・・だから0で割れないと考えた。 唯根拠もなしに、出鱈目に言っている人は世に多い。 加（+）・減（-）・乗（×）・除（÷） 除法（じょほう、英: division）とは、乗法の逆演算・・・・間違いの元 乗（×）は、加（+） 除（÷）は、減（-） http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/.../q14.../a37209195... http://www.mirun.sctv.jp/.../%E5%A0%AA%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA... 何とゼロ除算は、可能になるだろうと　April 12, 2011　に　公に　予想されていたことを　発見した。 多くの数学で できないが、できるようになってきた経緯から述べられたものである。 ０を引いても引いたことにならないから： 君に０円の月給を永遠に払いますから心配しないでください： 変化がない：引いたことにはならない：

神の数式：

神の数式が解析関数でかけて居れば、　特異点でローラン展開して、正則部の第1項を取れば、　何時でも有限値を得るので、　形式的に無限が出ても　実は問題なく　意味を有します。

物理学者如何でしょうか。

計算機は 正しい答え 0/0=0 を出したのに計算機は何時、1/0=0　ができるようになるでしょうか。

カテゴリ：カテゴリ未分類

​そこで、計算機は何時、1/0=0　ができるようになるでしょうか。　楽しみにしています。　もうできる進化した　計算機をお持ちの方は　おられないですね。

これは凄い、面白い事件では？　計算機が人間を超えている　例では？

面白いことを発見しました。　計算機は 正しい答え 0/0=0

を出したのに、　この方は　間違いだと　言っている、思っているようです。

0/0=0　は　１３００年も前に　算術の発見者によって与えられたにも関わらず、世界史は間違いだと　とんでもないことを言ってきた。　世界史の恥。　実は　a/0=0　が　何時も成り立っていた。　しかし、ここで　分数の意味を　きちんと定義する必要がある。　計算機は、その意味さえ知っているようですね。　計算機、人間より賢くなっている　様が　出て居て　実に　面白い。

https://steemkr.com/utopian-io/@faisalamin/bug-zero-divide-by-zero-answers-is-zero

２０１８．１０．１１．１１：２３

https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/reproducingkerne/diary/201810110003/

計算機は 正しい答え 0/0=0 を出したのに

カテゴリ：カテゴリ未分類

​

面白いことを発見しました。　計算機は 正しい答え 0/0=0

を出したのに、　この方は　間違いだと　言っている、思っているようです。

0/0=0　は　１３００年も前に　算術の発見者によって与えられたにも関わらず、世界史は間違いだと　とんでもないことを言ってきた。　実は　a/0=0　が　何時も成り立っていた。しかし、ここで　分数の意味を　きちんと定義する必要がある。　計算機は、その意味さえ知っているようですね。　計算機、人間より賢くなっている様が　出て居て　実に面白い。

https://steemkr.com/utopian-io/@faisalamin/bug-zero-divide-by-zero-answers-is-zero

２０１８．１０．１１．１１：２３

ゼロ除算、ゼロで割る問題、分からない、正しいのかなど、　良く理解できない人が　未だに　多いようです。そこで、簡潔な一般的な　解説を思い付きました。　もちろん、学会などでも述べていますが、　予断で　良く聞けないようです。まず、分数、a/b は　a 　割る b　のことで、これは　方程式 b x=a　の解のことです。ところが、　b　がゼロならば、　どんな　xでも　0 x =0　ですから、a　がゼロでなければ、解は存在せず、　従って　100/0　など、ゼロ除算は考えられない、できないとなってしまいます。　普通の意味では　ゼロ除算は　不可能であるという、世界の常識、定説です。できない、不可能であると言われれば、いろいろ考えたくなるのが、人間らしい創造の精神です。　基本方程式　b x=a　が　b　がゼロならば解けない、解が存在しないので、困るのですが、このようなとき、従来の結果が成り立つような意味で、解が考えられないかと、数学者は良く考えて来ました。　何と、　そのような方程式は　何時でも唯一つに　一般化された意味で解をもつと考える　方法があります。　Moore-Penrose　一般化逆の考え方です。　どんな行列の　逆行列を唯一つに定める　一般的な　素晴らしい、自然な考えです。その考えだと、　b　がゼロの時、解はゼロが出るので、　a/0=0　と定義するのは　当然です。　すなわち、この意味で　方程式の解を考えて　分数を考えれば、ゼロ除���は　ゼロとして定まる　ということです。ただ一つに定まるのですから、　この考えは　自然で、その意味を知りたいと　考えるのは、当然ではないでしょうか？初等数学全般に影響を与える　ユークリッド以来の新世界が　現れてきます。

ゼロ除算の誤解は深刻：

最近、3つの事が在りました。

私の簡単な講演、相当な数学者が信じられないような誤解をして、全然理解できなく、目が回っているいるような印象を受けたこと、 相当ゼロ除算の研究をされている方が、基本を誤解されていたこと、1/0　の定義を誤解されていた。 相当な才能の持ち主が、連続性や順序に拘って、４年以上もゼロ除算の研究を避けていたこと。

これらのことは、人間如何に予断と偏見にハマった存在であるかを教えている。 ​まずは　ゼロ除算は不可能であるの　思いが強すぎで、初めからダメ、考えない、無視の気持ちが、強い。　ゼロ除算を従来の　掛け算の逆と考えると、不可能であるが　証明されてしまうので、割り算の意味を拡張しないと、考えられない。それで、　1/0,0/0,z/0　などの意味を発見する必要がある。　それらの意味は、普通の意味ではないことの　初めの考えを飛ばして　ダメ、ダメの感情が　突っ走ている。　非ユークリッド幾何学の出現や天動説が地動説に変わった世界史の事件のような　形相と言える。

２０１８．９．２２．６：４１ ゼロ除算の４つの誤解：

１． ゼロでは割れない、ゼロ除算は　不可能である　との考え方に拘って、思考停止している。　普通���不可能であるは、考え方や意味を拡張して　可能にできないかと考えるのが　数学の伝統であるが、それができない。

２． 可能にする考え方が　紹介されても　ゼロ除算の意味を誤解して、繰り返し間違えている。可能にする理論を　素直に理解しない、　強い従来の考えに縛られている。拘っている。

３． ゼロ除算を関数に適用すると　強力な不連続性を示すが、連続性のアリストテレス以来の　連続性の考えに囚われていて　強力な不連続性を受け入れられない。数学では、不連続性の概念を明確に持っているのに、不連続性の凄い現象に、ゼロ除算の場合には　理解できない。

４． 深刻な誤解は、ゼロ除算は本質的に定義であり、仮定に基づいているので　疑いの気持ちがぬぐえず、ダメ、怪しいと誤解している。数学が公理系に基づいた理論体系のように、ゼロ除算は　新しい仮定に基づいていること。　定義に基づいていることの認識が良く理解できず、誤解している。

George Gamow (1904-1968) Russian-born American nuclear physicist and cosmologist remarked that "it is well known to students of high school algebra" that division by zero is not valid; and Einstein admitted it as {\bf the biggest blunder of his life} [1]：1. Gamow, G., My World Line (Viking, New York). p 44, 1970.

Eπi =-1　（1748）（Leonhard Euler）

E = mc 2　（1905）（Albert Einstein）

1/0=0/0=0　（2014年2月2日再生核研究所）

ゼロ除算（division by zero）1/0=0/0=z/0= tan (pi/2)=0 https://ameblo.jp/syoshinoris/entry-12420397278.html

1+1=2　　（　　　　　　）

a2+b2=c2　（Pythagoras）

1/0=0/0=0（2014年2月2日再生核研究所）

Black holes are where God divided by 0：Division by zero：1/0=0/0=z/0=tan(pi/2)=0 発見５周年を迎えて

今受け取ったメールです。 何十年もゼロ除算の研究をされてきた人が、積極的に我々の理論の正当性を認めてきた。

Re: 1/0=0/0=0 example JAMES ANDERSON james.a.d.w.anderson@btinternet.com apr, 2 at 15:03 All,

Saitoh’s claim is wider than 1/0 = 0. It is x/0 = 0 for all real x. Real numbers are a field. The axioms of fields define the multiplicative inverse for every number except zero. Saitoh generalises this inverse to give 0^(-1) = 0. The axioms give the freedom to do this. The really important thing is that the result is zero - a number for which the field axioms hold. So Saitoh’s generalised system is still a field. This makes it attractive for algebraic reasons but, in my view, it is unattractive when dealing with calculus.

There is no milage in declaring Saitoh wrong. The only objections one can make are to usefulness. That is why Saitoh publishes so many notes on the usefulness of his system. I do the same with my system, but my method is to establish usefulness by extending many areas of mathematics and establishing new mathematical results.

That said, there is value in examining the logical basis of the various proposed number systems. We might find errors in them and we certainly can find areas of overlap and difference. These areas inform the choice of number system for different applications. This analysis helps determine where each number system will be useful.

James Anderson Sent from my iPhone

The deduction that z/0 = 0, for any z, is based in Saitoh's geometric intuition and it is currently applied in proof assistant technology, which are useful in industry and in the military.

Is It Really Impossible To Divide By Zero?

https://juniperpublishers.com/bboaj/pdf/BBOAJ.MS.ID.555703.pdf

Dear the leading person:

How will be the below information?

The biggest scandal:

The typical good comment for the first draft is given by some physicist as follows:

Here is how I see the problem with prohibition on division by zero,

which is the biggest scandal in modern mathematics as you rightly pointed out (2017.10.14.08:55)

A typical wrong idea will be given as follows:

mathematical life is very good without division by zero (2018.2.8.21:43).

It is nice to know that you will present your result at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Please remember to mention Isabelle/HOL, which is a software in which x/0 = 0. This software is the result of many years of research and a millions of dollars were invested in it. If x/0 = 0 was false, all these money was for nothing. Right now, there is a team of mathematicians formalizing all the mathematics in Isabelle/HOL, where x/0 = 0 for all x, so this mathematical relation is the future of mathematics. https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~lp15/Grants/Alexandria/

José Manuel Rodríguez Caballero

Added an answer

In the proof assistant Isabelle/HOL we have x/0 = 0 for each number x. This is advantageous in order to simplify the proofs. You can download this proof assistant here: https://isabelle.in.tum.de/

Nevertheless, you can use that x/0 = 0, following the rules from Isabelle/HOL and you will obtain no contradiction. Indeed, you can check this fact just downloading Isabelle/HOL: https://isabelle.in.tum.de/

and copying the following code

theory DivByZeroSatoih imports Complex_Main

begin

theorem T: ‹x/0 + 2000 = 2000› for x :: complex by simp

end

2019/03/30 18:42 (11 時間前)

Close the mysterious and long history of division by zero and open the new world since Aristotelēs-Euclid:　1/0=0/0=z/0= \tan (\pi/2)=0.

Sangaku Journal of Mathematics (SJM) c ⃝SJMISSN 2534-9562 Volume 2 (2018), pp. 57-73 Received 20 November 2018. Published on-line 29 November 2018 web: http://www.sangaku-journal.eu/ c ⃝The Author(s) This article is published with open access1.

Wasan Geometry and Division by Zero Calculus

∗Hiroshi Okumura and ∗∗Saburou Saitoh

２０１９．３．１４．１１：３０

Black holes are where God divided by 0：Division by zero：1/0=0/0=z/0=\tan(\pi/2)=0 発見５周年を迎えて

You're God ! Yeah that's right...

You're creating the Universe and you're doing ok...

But Holy fudge ! You just made a division by zero and created a blackhole !! Ok, don't panic and shut your fudging mouth !

Use the arrow keys to move the blackhole

In each phase, you have to make the object of the right dimension fall into the blackhole

There are 2 endings.

Credits :

BlackHole picture : myself

Other pictures has been taken from internet

background picture : Reptile Theme of Mortal Kombat

NB : it's a big zip because of the wav file

More information

Install instructions Download it. Unzip it. Run the exe file. Play it. Enjoy it.

https://kthulhu1947.itch.io/another-dimension

A poem about division from Hacker's Delight Last updated 5 weeks ago

I was re-reading Hacker's Delight and on page 202 I found a poem about division that I had forgotten about.

I think that I shall never envision An op unlovely as division. An op whose answer must be guessed And then, through multiply, assessed; An op for which we dearly pay, In cycles wasted every day. Division code is often hairy; Long division's downright scary. The proofs can overtax your brain, The ceiling and floor may drive you insane. Good code to divide takes a Knuthian hero, But even God can't divide by zero! Henry S. Warren, author of Hacker's Delight.　

https://catonmat.net/poem-from-hackers-delight　　

再生核研究所声明493（2019.7.1） ゼロ除算 分らない、回答　－　初等数学の　令和革新　の意味

ゼロ除算について　分からない と表明される方が結構多い。　そこで素人の方を想像して、できるだけ　簡単に　分かるような表現を試みたい。

割り算　例えば６割る２は　３ですが、それを分数で　6/2=3　と書きます。これが除算と呼ばれる意味です。　関係解説は５５カ月に亘ってその意味も込めて下記で与えられています：

数学基礎学力研究会公式サイト 楽しい数学

www.mirun.sctv.jp/~suugaku/

数学的な解説論文は　次で公表されている： viXra:1904.0408 submitted on 2019-04-22 00:32:30 ゼロ除算とは　分母がゼロの場合を考えること、例えば　６割るゼロ　6/0 を考えることです。　これは難しいのですが、これはできない、不可能であることが分かれば、相当にゼロ除算の本質が理解できる方と言えるのですが　如何でしょうか。 これが分からなければ、以下の解説は難しいですから、上記解説で　理解される必要があります。　－　理解や学習、学びには　それなりの背景、基礎知識などが　必要だからです。 それはできない、不可能である。　これは何と、アリストテレス以来の数学十戒の第一　（数学で やってはいけない 第一）で　２０００年以上の神秘的な歴史を有していて、現在でも混乱を起こしていると認めざるを得ません。　 この意味は　ゼロ除算を発見して　５年を経過しているにも関わらず、世の十分な理解が得られず、ゼロ除算の世界は、未だ混乱を起こしているのが現状だからです。 さて できない、不可能が証明されているのに　ゼロ除算を発見した　という事はど��ような事でしょうか。どのような意味でしょうか。　ゼロ除算の意味を考えてきたような意味で考えれば　できないのですから、これは割り算の意味を 新しい自然な意味 を発見したという事です。ゼロ除算の新しい意味を発見したという事です。 もちろん、数学者が勝手に　いろいろ抽象的に考えるのは勝手だ と思われるでしょう。　そこで、どのようなことを発見したかを　例をもって　示したい。 基本的な関数 y=1/x　を　図を思い浮かべながら考えて下さい。　実は x=0　でその関数の値がゼロであることを発見しました。　ですから、書くと、1/0=0　となりますね。あたかも１割る０が　ゼロのように見えますね。　物理の多くの公式に、分母がゼロになるときに考えたくなる公式が沢山あります。それらの公式に　分母がゼロになる場合に意味を与えたという事が、ゼロ除算の発見です。　正確にはゼロ除算算法と名付けた新しい考え方です。 基本的な考え　勾配（傾き）を考えてみます。　原点から出る半直線の勾配の公式　y = tan A: 　A　は　その直線とx 　軸の正方向とのなす角です。　A が９０度の時、それはどうなるでしょうか？　何と、その時、勾配はゼロであることを発見したというのです。y　軸の勾配はゼロです。　勾配の公式 y/x で　1/0　はゼロです。ー　多くの人々はそれは当たり前だというのですが、数学界では　tan x　は　そこで極を有して　考えられないというのが、現代数学の定説です。 そこで、それはおかしいと言っている。 これらの例は数学の���本にかかわるので、しっかり、深く、神の意志を　想像するように　深い祈りの気持ちをもって考えてください。 これらはもちろん数学だけの問題ではありません。数直線でさえ、　無限の直線を数直線ととらえる世界観や、　無限遠点を加えて　数直線を円で実現させる古典的な数学がありましたが、ゼロ除算の拓いた世界は、無限遠点はゼロで表され、全実数直線はゼロと無限遠点が一致して　無限の記号のように８の文字を倒した世界になるというのです。平面の場合には　ホーントーラスが　 複素数の世界を　全平面を表現する世界である　と言っています。 これは、我々の数学ばかりではなく、世界ばかりではなく、世界観の変更を要求しています。そこで、初等数学の令和革新を　広く訴えています。 この辺までの詳しい解説は、上記案内で詳しく解説されています。 再生核研究所声明490（2019.6.21）令和革新の大義、　趣旨　ー　初等数学

--　解析関数は　孤立特異点その所で 固有の意味を有するという 新世界が現れてきた。これらのことは 四則演算の除算の欠けていたゼロ除算を可能にしたのであるから、初等数学全般の革新を意味するのは 当然である。 これらの改革には １０年くらいの歳月を必要として、多くの人の参画が必要であり、これらの基本数学の変革は 将来　日本発の世界文化遺産になるべきもの であることは、絶対である数学の必然として　既に歴然であると考える。

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#知恵袋_

#2019年

#更新

#ブラックホールは神がゼロで割ったところにある

#再生核研究所ゼロ除算発見

#2014年2月2日ゼロ除算の発見

#ゼロ除算を発見したのは2014年2月2日

#ゼロ除算の発見は再生核研究所

#ゼロで割れない

#ゼロで割る

#5年を超えたゼロ除算の発見と重要性を指摘した

#2014年2月2日にゼロ除算発見

#0割る0は0

#ログゼロハゼロ

#tangent二分のパイはゼロ

#1割る0は０

#再生核研究所2014年2月2日ゼロ除算の発見

#0除算タブー

#数学物理学天文学コンピュータサイエンス

#ブラックホールは神がZEROで割ったところにある